Checkmate
by Manwathiel
Summary: With Marluxia and Larxene to worry about, it seems like Axel would have enough to keep track of. But when an unexpected interest in Naminé is thrown into the mix, suddenly the fate of the Organization doesn't seem so important. Axel/Naminé. Complete.
1. Question

**Boo. :) **

**So here it is; a new AkuNami to add to the chaos of the Kingdom Hearts section. A story that has been long in the making. It's sort of a spin off of my other story, "Find Your Wings", and there are some references to it, but I suppose you can read this without reading that. Anyway, I won't keep you, so enjoy the story!**

**But first, a HUGE THANK YOU TO SCHMELLY INC! She's been a lovely beta and I can't express enough gratitude for what she has done to this thing. If not for her, I guarantee this story would have made your eyes bleed. Thank yoooou! :huggle:**

**Disclaimer: For the first and last time, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Grr. **

**XXXXX**

Chapter 1- Question

A simple game of Chinese checkers wasn't supposed to be this terrifying; it was meant to promote relaxation while simultaneously stimulating the mind. However, the only thing this game was doing for Naminé was putting her on edge and making her want to hide under her bed. Anxiously, she glanced up at the man sitting opposite her, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he planned his next move. The girl looked down at her own marbles. Most of them were tossed aside, sitting uselessly on the floor, despite the fact that pieces were not supposed to be taken in the traditional method of play. She couldn't, nor wouldn't, do anything about it though; this was Marluxia's game and Marluxia's rules, therefore not at all traditional. If he wanted to capture one of her pieces, thereby ensuring his victory, then that was how it would be.

Humming softly, the man plucked up a white marble and tossed it over his shoulder. Naminé watched as he took one of his red marbles and placed it a couple spaces forward.

"Your turn, Naminé."

The girl checked her current position. Four marbles left and nowhere near her opponent's empty space. His pieces were advancing towards her space like a swarm of red ants, instilling fear and destroying all in their path. Biting her lip, she picked up a white piece and set it in an empty hole.

Marluxia's hand was there to block her, "Oh, no, Witch. That's an illegal move. Try again."

Naminé wasn't sure whether to cry, scream, or simply give up. The last idea seemed easiest. With a sigh, she dropped the marble to the side and winced at the sharp crack as it bounced against the marble tile. Her reward was a low chuckle.

"That's better."

The whirring of a portal momentarily caught the attention of the players just as Marluxia made a quick exchange of a red and white marble. Naminé cringed when she heard the clicking of heels approaching. There was a girlish 'hmph' as the visitor leaned over the back of the couch; leather creaked in protest against the movement.

"Playing Chinese checkers with a prisoner?" Larxene snipped, turning her pointed nose to the air, "What's come over you, Marluxia?"

"Boredom, I think it's called," He answered with a shrug, flicking a white marble off the board. Two left.

"Um, it was my turn…" Naminé mumbled, watching the little ball roll under the couch.

Marluxia stared down calmly at her, but something in his eyes made the girl cower, "What was that, Witch?"

"Nothing…"

The smile he gave her was more dangerous than even the fiercest of glares.

Larxene 'hmphed' again as she walked around the couch to take a seat. Her booted foot bobbed uncomfortably close to the girl's head. Naminé desperately tried to keep an eye on both the woman and the game, fearing what would happen if she let her guard down towards either. She watched as Larxene stifled a yawn with her hand and Marluxia eyed his third turn. When would this ever end?

"When's that brat supposed to be here?" The woman questioned suddenly. Marluxia sat back from the board, running his fingers idly through his unruly mane as he did so.

"Eventually," He answered, "The little Witch has him already, so all we can do is wait for him to show up. We'll be ready for him when he gets here."

"I'm bored_ now_ though. I need a new toy to play with," She whined, motioning with her head towards Naminé, "That one is getting old already."

Marluxia managed a brief smile, "So selfish."

"At least I haven't lowered myself to playing checkers with a witch."

"Very true."

Naminé looked down to her hands folded in her lap. They always did this. Talked about her as if she was just some object to be abused and discarded when it no longer proved useful. It wasn't uncommon that they had these conversations within earshot, just to lower her morale. Of course, it could hardly get much lower. Being found and kept by the Organization since birth generally doesn't do much good for the mind, especially when handed off to these two. The others stationed in Castle Oblivion didn't show up much, unfortunately. She would have preferred the other four all at once to Marluxia and Larxene, even separately.

A leather-clad hand was being waved in her face, "Hey, Witch, are you listening?" Larxene's high pitched voice interrupted the girl's thoughts, "This is important for you, too."

Naminé nodded once, "Yes."

The woman seemed less than convinced, but she straightened up again and looked away. The girl wondered what would happen if she didn't do her job correctly. Would they let her go, thinking her useless, or would they destroy her just for that reason? The latter seemed most likely, but it was best not to find out.

"Just be patient," Marluxia tried to calm the Nymph, though obviously not putting much effort into it, "He'll be here."

"Who're we talking about?"

A voice like an echo filtered through the room, eliciting a variety of reactions. Larxene sighed with a roll of her eyes, Marluxia shut his eyes and prayed that this voice was just his imagination, and Naminé perked up just a little bit. Finally, some relief. Hopefully. With his usual Cheshire-cat grin and lazy strides, Axel made his apparently unwelcome appearance. Despite having the girl's complete attention, he hardly spared her a glance as he took a seat on the arm of the couch. The redhead glanced between the Nymph and Assassin and, when neither spoke, thought it necessary to remind them of his presence and the fact that his question had gone unanswered.

"Anyone going to answer my question?" He prompted. When still no one replied, he sighed and turned his attention to the game that been all but abandoned. Axel frowned, "Cheating again, are we, Marluxia?"

The man in question sneered, "Hardly."

"That's a lie if I've ever heard one," The redhead scoffed, kneeling down at the board. Swiftly, he took a handful of red and white marbles, shook them in his hands like dice, and let them fly across the board. Most simply rolled off onto the floor, but a few survivors managed to find themselves tucked safely in a hole. Six red and six white. Leaning back onto his haunches, Axel smirked and gestured at the board with his hands, "And that is how you properly execute Axel's Flurry of Dancing Marbles."

While the pyro looked absolutely elated, as though he had just found the meaning of life, Marluxia and Larxene looked disgusted, "How creative."

"But wait! I'm not quite done," Reaching out again, the redhead rearranged the red marbles so that the only spaces open in the triangle were the inside holes. On the white side, the spots open were on the outside holes. Two marbles, red and white, stood ready to be moved. Axel nodded in satisfaction, "Checkmate."

"Wrong game," Marluxia muttered, standing up, "What are you doing here?"

"What, am I not allowed to wander?"

"Not when I am in the room."

A slow smile slipped onto Axel's features, "Maybe you should stay out of my way then."

"What _are_ you doing here, Axel?" Larxene asked, drawing the attention to herself now, "It's not often you visit this area for pure pleasure."

Naminé diverted her attention, not wanting to give away the fact that the redhead actually did visit her on occasion. Not often, of course, but certainly a lot more than the other two ever did. Not all the visits were good-humored, but at least it was something. Any sort of attention was better than sitting alone in her room with nothing but a sketchbook and box of pencils. The memories that didn't belong to her overwhelmed her sometimes. Axel did nothing when that happened, but he was there. That's all she needed.

"I came to see what you two were up to," Axel's voice was a lot calmer than Naminé's would have been. Maybe she was the only one who saw the abnormality in his visitations. The Organization wasn't exactly known for their kindness and generosity. Sometimes she wondered if the pyro's intentions were just a small part of a large scale scheme, but perhaps that was just paranoia on her part.

"Are you satisfied?" The woman asked, spreading her arms wide. Axel glanced down at the game, then shrugged.

"Relatively so, yes," He replied, "Amused? Not so much. Watching Marluxia cheat at Chinese checkers doesn't do much for me."

The aforementioned man tensed in annoyance, "I wasn't cheating. This is how you play my version of the game."

"Oh, of course," The redhead snickered, tossing his hand, "I get it now."

Marluxia opted to say nothing under the snarky grin of Axel, while Larxene watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, "Since you're here, how about you take a turn watching the little witch?" She suggested to the redhead, who replied with a careless shrug.

"You were here before I was. You do it."

"I was here before Marluxia. Besides, it would be your turn in a few hours."

A sour look replaced the smirk. Stepping in and relieving the Graceful Assassin of his duty would mean an extended shift for him. Again. Axel's eyes shifted to the girl still seated by the game board, trying her best to look invisible. No offense to her, but his plans for the day didn't include prolonged babysitting duties. Nice kid, but not entertaining enough to make him want to hang around.

"I think I'll pass."

Naminé frowned.

"As your superior, I order you to go on shift early."

Red and blonde heads whipped up to stare at the man who had spoken. While the girl tried to mask her relief, Axel's teeth were bared in a snarl.

"_You_ have no authority over _me_," He growled, clenching his fists at his side. Naminé's opinion had taken a complete turnaround within seconds and she was suddenly hoping that maybe he wouldn't be staying, "You are only a sorry _eleven_ in this Organization of thirteen."

It was Marluxia's turn to be haughty. His smug smile was enough to just tap Axel's boiling point, "Eleventh in the Organization, maybe, but I seem to recall Xemnas leaving me in charge at Castle Oblivion. Don't you remember? Now," He unfurled his fingers in a graceful flourish and a single red petal drifted gently above his outstretched fingertips. Tendrils of swirling darkness wove patterns in the air, "I believe I told you to keep watch over Naminé."

The girl believed it impossible for a person to hiss, but the redhead managed it, and she was terrified of being alone with him. Never before had Axel displayed such hostility in front of her; he had always been all teasing and jokes. Cruel jokes, sometimes, but not dangerous. This Axel was threatening and she didn't like it a single bit.

Larxene sniggered behind her hand. Naminé frowned.

"You're lucky I don't torch you and your pansy ass flowers right now," The pyro threatened. His voice was strangled, like the pent up frustration made it difficult for him to speak, "Just get out of my face."

Both Marluxia and Larxene smirked as Axel stormed away to the only window in the room, his steps quick and posture rigid. Naminé cringed when the Assassin squeezed her shoulder a bit too tightly, "Be good, little witch. Don't forget to clean up your mess."

The man disappeared in the dark, swirling mass that was his gate to nothingness, but Larxene did not follow. The young girl watched as the woman quietly made her way to Axel's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. She leaned around him and her lips moved, but she was speaking too quietly for Naminé to hear. A deeper hum indicated the redhead speaking, but his words were inaudible as well. A brief exchange occurred in which the girl began to lose interest, before Larxene's high pitched laughter broke the silence. A portal was opened and she disappeared.

Naminé was hesitant to acknowledge Axel's presence in the room, fearing that he might decide to release his anger on her. With slow movements, she began cleaning up the mess Marluxia had left behind. Once she had placed all of the marbles in the correct spots, she fished around for the box that had slid under the couch. Her fingers touched the cool, metal container and it made an irritating scraping noise as she slid it out.

"You don't have to listen to him, you know," Axel's voice, only a few feet away now, startled her, "You don't have to worry. You're indispensable."

Still fearful, Naminé's voice was quiet as she said, "So are you."

He chuckled without amusement, "Maybe."

The girl finished putting away the game, despite Axel's assurance that it wasn't necessary. She retrieved her drawing supplies from the chair in the far corner, then returned to plop back down on the couch. The quiet that ensued crackled with the one-way tension. Naminé decided it was best to let the pyro cool down before attempting conversation.

The first hour of the shift was spent in silence, apart from the soft scratches of pencil against paper. Occasionally, the girl would glance up at her watcher to find him always in the same position: eyes closed, head tilted to the ceiling, legs stretched, and ankles crossed. Sometimes his hands would be on his stomach, fingers drumming in some erratic rhythm. Naminé took to watching him, wondering what he was thinking about, and if it always took this long for him to calm down. As time passed, her fear of him also subsided, and she felt what she usually did when he was around. Not comfort, but more at ease. Though definitely not an open book, he was much easier to predict than Marluxia and Larxene were, and in Naminé's opinion, that made him less dangerous.

But not safe. No, never safe. None of them were, and she was bright enough to realize that from the start.

"If you could put all that thought into your drawings, I bet you one hundred munny that you could open an art museum."

Naminé managed a half-smile at the smirking pyro who had come to sit on the other side of the couch. Brooding time was over.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Axel shrugged, "Looks like you're doing a lot of thinking. Your face looks like this," He puffed out his cheeks but kept his lips tight, scrunching up his eyelids so that it looked like someone had taped them open and he was trying desperately to blink. The expression was replaced with a grin when the girl laughed quietly.

"You look like a chipmunk," She said.

"You look constipated."

Naminé blinked at the unfamiliar term. She opened her mouth to question, but the redhead stopped her with an outstretched hand. He said with a cheeky grin, "If you have to ask, then you'll never know. Hopefully."

Though confused and unsure, the girl nodded. A snicker from him wasn't too comforting.

Awkwardly, she returned her attention to her sketchbook. She had been drawing the Chinese checkers game, though with more colors and a better demonstration of the official rules. Intentionally, she left the red side of the board empty; the marbles were mere scribbles in the small tray off to the side. Satisfied for now, Naminé flipped back to an earlier drawing in her book. She peeked up at Axel, who was entertaining himself with the strings on his coat.

"Axel?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to see a picture I drew?"

"Sure, kid," He leaned forward, allowing the strings to dangle freely. Naminé smiled shyly and turned her book around so he could see. Eyes narrowing, he pursed his lips in thought. It was of the few moments they had spent together in the rain, almost four days ago. He himself hadn't thought much about it- except for a few parts that he would never admit he was thinking about- but now the entire night was flashing through his mind. Especially that one part…

_Ugh. I'm such a pervert_, he thought, cringing. Naminé mistook it for dislike, and frowned as she turned the book away. Axel rolled his eyes and reached for the pad, but she held it firmly to her chest.

"Sorry, okay? The picture's fine. I was thinking," He rambled.

"About what?" Suspicion laced her voice.

"…Things," He started, "Unimportant things. Things you don't need to worry about."

Naminé narrowed her eyes. Axel thought it looked out of place on her rounded features.

"You were thinking about me wet, weren't you?" Her voice negated the accusation by remaining soft and gentle. The redhead shook his head.

"Of course not."

"Yes, you were."

"I know."

Naminé blushed, her lips trembling like she was trying not to laugh. That was one good thing about her, Axel realized. Even if it was embarrassing for her, at least she could make a joke out of it. On the other hand, when he had caught Larxene just out of the shower, she had made sure to beat him until it hurt just to blink. Maybe it was just because the Nymph actually had something to... well, look at. Naminé couldn't be more than eleven or twelve.

He really was a pervert, wasn't he?

By the time Axel had returned to the real world, the girl had retreated back into her sketchbook and was scribbling away at a new picture. He sighed and rested his cheek in his palm. This was why he didn't like extended shifts; he was bored by end of the first hour, and with no rain in sight, he doubted he would be getting any entertainment.

He could feel her eyes on him every once in a while, but he didn't feel like acknowledging her. Maybe she was drawing him again; just in case, he stretched himself into a more posed position, showing off his 'good side'. Naminé didn't seem to notice. Well, fine then. He didn't want to be drawn anyway.

"We should do something," Axel said after another forty five minutes had passed without conversation, "This is boring."

"Sorry," She didn't really sound apologetic, "You can leave if you want."

He chose to ignore her suggestion, "What happened to those books I brought you?"

Naminé paused, twirling her pencil in her fingers, "Zexion took them back to the library yesterday."

"Why?"

"Because they belong there, I guess," She shrugged.

"No, they don't. I got them from my room."

Naminé quirked her head, "Well… he saw them sitting on my bed, got angry, and then left with them. I assumed he was taking them to the library."

Axel grinned. Sometimes he loved taking advantage of her innocence, even if it was just for a sick joke of his. Curse the Schemer for having just enough heart left over to want to protect the witch from the things any normal kid her age would know. Either that, or Zexion wanted the books for himself. Axel reminded himself to check into that later.

"How old are you anyway?" The redhead asked as an afterthought, "Ten? Eleven?"

The girl shifted awkwardly, "Almost fifteen."

"Oh," The pyro blinked in surprise. So he had been off by about five years; he felt a little less like a dirty old man now.

"What about you?" She inquired, not realizing the reasons for his asking. He exhaled loudly through his teeth and linked his fingers behind his head.

"That's a hard one. I didn't think to remember that," He shrugged, "I'm guessing between nineteen and twenty-two."

Apparently, this topic interested her, for Naminé settled her sketchbook in her lap and let her pencil roll up against the coils. Axel glanced at what she had been drawing: a mutated looking cat. Maybe he should have brought her an animal sticker book instead of adult novels. He shifted his eyes back to her, careful not to show any hints of his opinion on his face.

"You don't remember?" She sounded surprised.

"Nope, not really. What is age anyway, really, especially to someone who never changes and has nothing to look forward to except an empty nothingness in place of death?"

Naminé frowned, looking down at her sketch, "You don't want to be whole?"

"I didn't say that."

The tone in his voice told the girl she was approaching a line she wasn't supposed to cross. Questions still flitted in and out of her mind, endlessly curious about the beings that had found her, housed her, and protected her in a way that was unique to them. Naminé tried to judge his expression, wondering how much further she could probe him before he became the Axel she feared. If she went too far, he would become cold for the rest of the shift. If she dared to ask, one more question would be answered only to give birth to ten more. Her eyes dropped again.

"Sorry."

Axel grunted under his breath and looked away. Maybe she had crossed that line without even realizing it.

**XXXXX**

**Ta-da! First chapter down. Hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. **

**A note: this story is complete. Meaning I have all of it typed already, which means that I'm going to have a fixed updating schedule. Today is Sunday, so I will post a new chapter every Sunday, so now you have something to look forward to every week. Yay. **

**Thanks again for reading! See ya! **

**Until Next Time,  
Manwathiel**


	2. Doubt

**Thank Schmelly Inc. for sending me an email and mentioning that today was Sunday and I had to update. OOPS. I forgots. X3 ****That was fast… one week of the semester down, a million more to go. Hopefully this little thing will keep me going. Can't jump off the Earth knowing that people are so eagerly waiting for the story, now can I? Heheh. Thanks for all the positive feedback, you guys! I hope you continue to enjoy this.**

**Oh, and there's a pinch of Larxel in this chappie, too. Only a pinch though. Like, sand grain size. Smaller than that even. **

**And again, a great big thanks to Schmelly Inc. for her wonderful work (and for the reminder)! I don't think I did this last time, so I will now: ADVERTISING. If you haven't read any of her stories for some odd reason, go do it. NOW. :shakes fist:**

**XXXXX**

Chapter 2- Doubt

Vexen had to be one of the sourest Nobodies to ever roam the worlds. Once he struck, he left everything depressed, frustrated, and usually suffering from fits of uncontrollable twitching. It was inevitable that one would become that much closer to insanity after each unfortunate encounter. Ever so slowly, he would wear the poor soul down until they were just a motionless mass on the floor. Maybe it was because he was eternally frozen as a senile old bat that he felt it necessary to ruin the lives of his fellow Organization members. Maybe it was because he hadn't seen the sun in eons and his demeanor was just the result of all the chemicals he played with. Maybe it was because his name bore a striking resemblance to the word 'vex'.

Or maybe it was just Axel dramatizing it.

The aforementioned Nobody peered across the room at the Chilly Academic, who was speaking very rigidly with Marluxia. The coward. Despite his ever constant reminders of the orders of rank, which would theoretically grant him superiority at Castle Oblivion, Vexen couldn't even hold his own against the flower boy. He was useless to the Organization; the only thing his many experiments seemed to achieve was a series of wide spread paranoia among the other members.

"Sora will be here tonight," Marluxia was saying, enunciating every word as though he were talking to a child, "I will be there to greet him."

Axel tuned out the conversation before Vexen had a chance to speak. He had already heard this countless times. Bored, he went back to folding a blank piece of paper into a demented swan. When a wing refused to fold correctly, his face screwed up in irritation and the paper burst into a sudden ball of flame, extinguishing just as quickly as it had been ignited. As he casually brushed the ashes from his gloves, Axel noticed the stares of the other two Nobodies and flashed a grin.

"Yes?"

"You have to be smarter than the paper, Axel," Larxene jeered from her seat, tucked back into a corner. The redhead scowled at her, but she was once again absorbed in her book, the title of which he hadn't managed to catch. Vexen and Marluxia returned to their conversation. Axel attempted to think of a retort.

"Is that the best you could come up with?" He decided on.

The Nymph's eyes momentarily slid to the redhead's face, then back to her book, "Says the one who can't even think of a decent comeback."

Axel's scowl deepened. That's enough of that. He decided to pay attention to the other Nobodies.

"I don't understand," Vexen was saying.

"You don't have to understand," Marluxia consoled, "Just trust me when I say that everything is under control. No need to worry."

Like the suspicious old geezer that he was, the Chilly Academic narrowed his eyes, "I can't help but wonder what you neophytes are up to. Why the Superior allowed you control of Oblivion still escapes me."

Marluxia smiled slyly, "Whatever his reasons, I am sure they are well founded. I trust his decisions. Do you, Vexen?"

A cross between a sneer and a grimace passed over the elder's face and he fell silent for a while. Doubtless, trying to hold back the fear that he thought he hid too deep to be detected. A fear that he technically shouldn't have been able to feel after so many years of non-existence. It was what made him one of Axel's least favorite members; this unjustified fear. At least, it was unjustified in his eyes. Perhaps he wasn't seeing something that Vexen noticed every time he came close to their Superior. Then again, he was probably just being the senile old man he was.

"Of course, I do," The Academic finally managed to spit out, but he sounded less than confident, "I am allowed to be curious, however, am I not?"

"I never said you couldn't be curious, but you are needlessly so," Marluxia was quick to supply. Too quick. Axel stopped listening so he wouldn't have to hear the lies so cleverly hidden. It was close to disgusting to hear his voice, dripping like nectar laced with snake's venom. The redhead didn't know exactly what was going on, either, or whether or not it was in his best interest to go along with it. Until then, he would pretend everything was just perfect. Let Vexen voice his concerns; they all suddenly seemed so much more reasonable. Maybe in the end he would learn something that could help propel him in the right direction.

Blindly reaching over, Axel snatched up a fresh sheet of paper to try his hand at another swan, even if his efforts would only succeed in producing another pile of ash. Hopefully, Naminé wouldn't notice the pages missing from her sketchbook.

IOIOIOI

"Get away from the window!" Larxene snapped, jumping to her feet for the umpteenth time that night. When the young girl didn't immediately obey, the Nymph started towards her threateningly, but a hand gripping her wrist stopped her progression. Wincing, Naminé hobbled away from the window and returned to her isolated seat. The third person in the room clucked their tongue.

"You would make a fantastic mother," Axel crooned, "Such love."

"Shut it!" The blonde whipped around on him now. Axel pretended to look hurt, but the corners of his lips were threatening to turn upwards. With a growl, Larxene returned to her place on the opposite side of the couch, oblivious to Naminé silently watching the interaction. During her time in captivity, she had taken an interest in observing the varying relationships between the members. Most of them were tense, but she knew some of them had friendships. Or the closest thing they could get to it. Maybe it was just about the levels of trust; back turned, who'd be more likely to watch it or take the chance and stab away? Most curious of the relationships was the one between Larxene and Axel. Sometimes they got along, sometimes they hated each other, and both of them could switch in and out of these moods before Naminé had a chance to realize the shift had even occurred. They were careful, however, when around her. They were harsher towards each other in her presence and nice only when they thought she wasn't paying attention.

Like now, for example.

Axel was leaning towards her, close, but still allowing her space. Larxene's fists were clenched on her knees, but she was obviously listening to his whispered words. A crease formed in the skin on her forehead.

"What's your point?" She was unable to speak as quietly as Axel, so Naminé was able to hear her end of the conversation. The redhead's teeth showed, and he leaned closer.

The whirring of a portal filled the room, and the redhead leaned away from Larxene. Naminé quickly returned her attention to her sketchbook when she found Axel staring at her. She knew she wasn't supposed to see that, and he was able to convey with his eyes that he had better not catch her doing it again. The pyro turned his attention to the newcomer when the woman spoke.

"How'd it go?" Larxene asked as Marluxia tossed down his hood.

"As anticipated," He answered, "He won't suspect a thing."

Naminé, out of the corner of her eye, saw Axel quirk his head just slightly. Was he in the dark, too, just like her? Her assumption was proved wrong, however, when he asked, "Did he take the card?"

"With little question. Besides, I gave his mind more than those cards to think about," The Assassin took a seat on the arm of the couch on Larxene's side, "He should be lost in his memories by now, with no hope of turning back. I feel that Sora will pose no problem in the future."

Larxene tossed her hand, swatting away the comment like it was a fly, "He won't. He's a kid, susceptible to whatever garbage is dragged through his mind. And even if he didn't cooperate, we would be able to… negotiate, I think," She finished with a pinched laugh, like thousands of tiny needles pricking the skin. Naminé resisted shuddering; no use drawing attention to herself. She didn't completely understand any of what they were talking about; the name 'Sora' had been tossed around numerous times before and she knew she had something to do with him, but her role in this was still unclear. Was it right or wrong? They didn't say. She wanted to believe it was good, that this was her purpose, but a nagging feeling in the back of her mind was screaming at her to avoid the whole lot of them. Her eyes slid to Axel, who had been silent since his question. The other two had continued speaking, until they too noticed his silence.

"Are you alright, Axel?" Marluxia questioned cautiously, "You're awfully… reserved."

"I'm fine. Just thinking," He tapped the side of his head, "I do that sometimes, you know."

The Assassin raised a brow, "Indeed."

The discussion lasted little more than ten minutes, in which both the girl and the pyro kept to themselves. Naminé wanted to block out the words, but she was curious about their plans. She needed to know what was in store for her. And then, just before Marluxia left, she was given her first true mission. Easy, he had said, simply rearrange his memories. There would be no pain, he assured her. When he left, he had convinced Naminé that what she was doing was alright. This was fine. She was a good guy, just like them.

So why didn't she feel like one?

Larxene and Axel stayed there a long while after the Assassin had left. They kept a careful distance from each other, like some unspoken agreement was made, but the girl had a feeling it wasn't because of her. Their moods were different now. Things changed when Marluxia came. Now, they didn't want anything to do with each other.

For some reason, Naminé realized with a start that the idea pleased her.

Much to her disappointment, the redhead was the next to leave, abandoning her with Larxene. Without a word or glance, he summoned a portal and was gone. He was upset about something, or confused. As much as he and the others insisted they had no emotions, it was so easy to read their feelings. Perhaps it was _because_ they thought they had none that they didn't realize just how clearly they were showing them.

Naminé waited for the onslaught of insults that typically accompanied the sadistic woman, but none came. Maybe she was tired. The girl cast her eyes between the Nymph and her sketchbook; neither were very interesting. She wondered if Larxene was bothered by the same things Axel was.

"Um…" Naminé mumbled, trying to think of something to say.

"What?" Larxene replied sharply. That was a turn off for any talking.

The girl shifted awkwardly in her seat, "You seem upset."

"Why do you care?"

_I don't, _she wanted to say, but was sure this would only incur the woman's wrath. Instead, she opted for a topic that was probably more dangerous, though infinitely more interesting. She didn't fear Larxene; she just hated her, "Do you like Axel?"

For just a second, the Nymph appeared thrown off by the question, but quickly hid her surprise with anger, "That's none of your business, Witch! He's just an arrogant, intolerable git!" She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and sucked in a breath through her teeth, "I _hate_ him."

That answer was enough for Naminé, as well as the conversation, so she meekly turned her eyes back to her sketchbook. The woman's breathing was loud and obnoxious, interrupting the silence that she valued so much. She had trouble concentrating on her drawing; eventually, she gave up and headed for the small chest between her bed and the wall. She glanced back at the woman, who took that as her signal to leave. Still miffed, she opened a portal and stormed inside. After a few moments of quiet, Naminé sighed in relief. Finally, she was alone. She kicked off her sandals, pulled on her nightgown, and crawled beneath her soft, white sheets. It was still relatively early and she wasn't tired, but she wanted to be alone now. Though, company in the shape of green eyes and flaming red hair wouldn't have been unpleasant. The thought made her blush; she was still worried about his troubled expression from before, that's all. He seemed to have noticed something she didn't. Something off. Maybe she would ask him about it later.

Maybe she would ask about Larxene, too. Naminé pondered the Nymph's reaction to her question, wondering if Axel would be the same way. She wanted to doubt it.

As she drifted off into unexpected slumber, she knew she wanted to deny it, too.

**XXXXX**

**This chapter is shorter than I realized… oops. Well, they get longer, I promise. And much more excitement-filled. And AkuNami-filled. **_**Swoooon. **_**I am so in love with this pairing. But is that the first inkling of Naminé falling for our beautiful pyro? Could be... **

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next one is the beginning of some fluff. Maybe. Guess you'll have to wait and see. Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading!**

**Until Next Time,  
Manwathiel**


	3. Touch

**Guess who remembered! :D Yay Sunday! Blegh. Good and bad. Good, because I get to post a chapter. Bad, because that means I'm back at school. I should have chosen a different day…**

**Thanks for all the confidence boosters, guys! I can't wipe the grin off my face. I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story, especially this chapter. It's one of my favorites. For some reason. Eheh. ;) **

**Another big thanks to Schmelly Inc. for her help! 8D **

**XXXXX**

Chapter 3- Touch

"Feel free to wander," Zexion said, "Everything is open to you, except that section there."

Naminé followed the length of his arm to a far off section in the library, but paid little attention to it; she was too overwhelmed. The room was covered by shelves upon shelves, housing hundreds of books that probably had never been opened. Dull shades of blacks, browns, and blues were most common, but a few green and red bindings stuck out and caught her attention. It was a relief to finally see something other than white; it was almost like she had forgotten what other colors looked like. The room smelled of old wood and paper, but it was a homely scent that put her at ease. Everything was neat and tidy, exactly how she believed a library should be.

When her fascination showed no signs of relenting, the Cloaked Schemer started towards another side of the library. Over his shoulder, he said, "You're welcome."

"Oh!" Naminé gasped, turning around to face him, "Thank…you…" She frowned when he failed to acknowledge her. She watched him leave until he disappeared around a row of shelves, then returned her attention to the vast new area she was to explore. She had never encountered anything like this; she didn't even know where to start. Zexion had suggested that, if she was so desperate for reading material, she should find her own books. What Axel had brought was apparently not suitable for her, for some reason; she hadn't even begun to read them before they were taken away. But now she had an opportunity to make her own decisions; a privilege she wasn't often allowed. Choosing a shelf at random, she peered closely at the titles she couldn't begin to understand. She was more intrigued by the varying shapes and colors of the books.

It didn't take her long to find a small section filled with tattered paperbacks tucked away in a corner. Pursing her lips thoughtfully, she trailed her fingertips over the bindings slowly, scanning each title. One in particular caught her attention. It was simple black with red letters, reading 'Misery', and she slipped it off the shelf. The author's name and part of the picture had been scribbled out with a black marker, and it looked as if it had been handled roughly. Naminé was about to flip it over to read the description, but the whirring of a portal caught her attention. Eyes wide, her head whipped about in search of the new arrival. Silence, and then heavy footsteps.

Naminé struggled to shove the book back in its place, but froze when she heard voices. A softer, quieter one: Zexion. Deep, rumbling, like the earth: Lexaeus. Brittle, harsh: Vexen.

What were they doing?

Unable to contain her curiosity, Naminé started towards them as quietly as she could. She knew if she were to be discovered, they would stop, return her to her room, and she would never have the chance to learn about what was going on. That she almost never saw these three, much less together, made her wonder why they would suddenly decide to congregate. Their voices grew louder, and she stopped.

"It is absolute insanity," Vexen hissed, "I don't trust any of them."

"That's not too surprising, coming from you," Lexaeus murmured in response, "What have they done to make themselves untrustworthy?"

There was a sharp intake of breath, "You didn't hear him yesterday. He thinks I'm foolish enough to fall for his 'plans'. There had to be another motive behind the Superior's decision to name _him_ the lord of Castle Oblivion. There is nothing he can achieve that one of us elders couldn't have accomplished. Put_ me_ in charge and things would get done."

"Then I suppose it's a shame you aren't in charge, Vexen," Zexion cut him off before he could continue. There was a pause in which the Schemer hoisted himself up onto something, putting him at equal height to his cohorts, "Though if it would put you more at ease, we will keep watch on their activities."

"Ousting him from his position would better suit me."

"That is not an option."

Another long stretch of silence, in which Naminé feared she had been discovered. They were listening, she knew, but she hadn't made any noise. Someone shifted.

"What of the girl?" Lexaeus questioned, quieter now.

"In league with them, my guess," Vexen snapped, "Corrupted."

The girl frowned. Far from it, actually; she was still unsure of her true mission, or rather, the purpose behind it. But what if Vexen was right? Maybe she was corrupted and didn't even realize it.

Suddenly, darkness stole her vision and stopped her breath, clamping over her mouth and eyes like a vice. Naminé struggled against the restraints, her screams muffled, but then the scent of cinnamon and ash invaded her nose. A smooth warmth pressed up against her cheek, and a hot wisp of air tickled her skin and caused the hair on her neck to stand up. Muscles tensed, she barely registered the nearly inaudible, "Shh…"

The girl's chest deflated when she realized the identity of her captor, only to promptly inflate when she noticed the close proximity. A small squeak escaped, and the redhead held his hand tighter against her mouth. Naminé grabbed the hand covering her eyes and tugged; without much thought, he allowed her vision again, and she looked up at him. He was focused straight ahead, listening to the conversation between the three elders; his lips pressed into a thin line. He must have been what the others had detected in their pause only moments earlier. Naminé returned her attention to them.

"If it comes to that, it can easily be countered," Lexaeus was trying to comfort Vexen about something she had missed.

"I am well aware of that, though I-"

"I think it is best we relocate," Zexion said suddenly, hopping down from his perch. The other two exchanged glances, "The girl will be fine alone. Come," He didn't wait for the others to agree. A portal was opened and the three elders disappeared within it. A long, drawn out silence followed.

The redhead released the breath he had been holding, tickling Naminé's skin again, and he let go of her mouth.

"Axel," The girl whispered breathily, turning around on the spot to face him and effectively worsening their position. She blushed hotly, finding herself pinned between the shelf she had been hiding behind and his body; he wasn't as tall as she originally thought. Her head was able to touch his chest, but only just. She dared to look up at him, shy and awkward in this situation, but he didn't seem to notice. Roughly, he grabbed her shoulder and began directing her deeper into the library. She didn't put up a struggle.

Once they reached the shelf with the paperbacks, Axel stopped and turned her to face him, "What did you hear?"

The urgency in his voice startled her, and she was hesitant to share her information because of this. His eyes were too frenzied, too shifty, to be considered normal. Naminé tilted her head, studying his expression with narrowed eyes.

"This is a bad time to be shy, Naminé," His fingers were too tight on her shoulders, but she knew she didn't have the strength to shake him off, "Just tell me what they said."

It occurred to her then that if he was worried about what they had been discussing, something was wrong. Things were happening without him knowing and, by the sound of it, that wasn't good for his sake. Was he part of the 'they' that the three had been talking about? There were only three other members of the Organization; he had to be one of them. So what were these 'plans' that Vexen was so worried about? The girl couldn't imagine what three elder members would have to worry about; that they did worry made her wonder if she was dealing with the wrong side.

Naminé yanked fruitlessly against her captor, "Why should I have to tell you anything?"

Wrong choice.

Axel's face was suddenly inches from hers; she could see her fear reflected in his acidic green eyes. Teeth audibly ground together, and angry creases marred the space between his brows. His grip on her shoulders was too painful, so much so that she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Gravity tugged uselessly at her feet; dangling a foot from the floor.

"You _will _tell me what they said, Witch!" He hissed, "You have no choice."

A whimper escaped her lips, "Let me go…"

"Try cooperating and I might consider it."

Naminé winced as a sharp pain shot down her arms to her elbows, "They said… I was corrupted…"

Axel paused, mulling over the unexpected information, but decided it was unimportant and tossed it out of his mind, "What else?"

She didn't want to give him any information. Based on her own conclusions about what she had heard, he had to be the enemy. He was working with Marluxia, the mastermind of these plans the elders feared; he had lied to her. Every moment they shared, though few, was nothing more than a necessary measure to keep up the guise.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me!" His fury had returned, and this time the strangled cry managed to break free when he shook her roughly, "You forget that I don't have to be nice to you."

This was being nice? If that was the case, she was terrified of seeing him angry. She was reminded of the day before when he had become furious at Marluxia, and how nervous she had been about being near him. Now, it was directed at her, and she felt all the trust she had built up slip away. She didn't recognize the eyes staring so intently at her; maybe this was who he really was. Just like the rest of them.

Naminé didn't think twice before kicking swiftly upwards into his gut, and she was dropped to the ground. Winded, Axel bent over to protect his stomach while reaching out to grab the girl before she could escape, but his fingertips only managed to brush her dress before she bolted from the room; her book lay forgotten on the floor, turned to a page that had been bent and creased from being left open too long. He watched her leave, knowing she wouldn't be able to run very far. Fury that he shouldn't have been able to feel twisted his thoughts into evil pictures he never would have imagined otherwise. Laced within them was worry; not for Naminé, but for what she was hiding. If she wouldn't speak, then what had been said couldn't be good for him, and that meant he was missing a part of the bigger picture. It seemed Marluxia wasn't the only one with secrets.

Crouching down, Axel picked up the discarded book from the floor.

IOIOIOI

Naminé had run until she had no idea where she was. Everything looked the same, just endless white hallways and corridors. She wondered if she would forever be trapped within the castle, lost, but she was more nervous of being found. Who would it be? She would have given anything to make it not Larxene, Marluxia, or Axel. Especially not Axel. It felt like her feet had been kicked out from beneath her, forcing her to realize the truth: she could not truly have friends in the Organization. What could she offer them? She had no skills, no talent; she couldn't protect them. In their eyes, that made her useless and unsuitable for a companion. Axel knew this; maybe it was time she accepted it, too.

It wasn't surprising that Zexion found her, huddled against the wall with her face hidden in her knees. He knelt down before her, and she slowly raised her tearstained face to meet his eyes. She was glad he didn't touch her; she was afraid she would have recoiled from him.

"Hello, Naminé," He said.

The girl willed her voice to be steady as she whispered a meek, "Hi."

"Why are you crying?" The question made her hesitate. She didn't want to tell him about Axel because that would mean admitting she had been eavesdropping, and there was still a part of her that didn't want the redhead in trouble. Even if the Axel she knew was fake, there was still some hope that maybe there was a part of him that was real. But Zexion was waiting for an answer, and she didn't know him well enough to know if he would grow irritated with her silence.

"Um…" She bit her lip, "You left me."

Even to her, the idea sounded unlikely. Judging by the gently raised brow, he didn't buy it either, but he didn't say anything. The Schemer simply stood, summoned a portal, and directed her through it. Naminé returned to her room without any complaint; once inside, she hurried to her chair where her art supplies lay waiting, grabbed them up, and retreated to her bed. She never heard the sound of a portal, so she assumed Zexion planned to stay with her for a bit, despite it being her alone time. She wondered if maybe he was trying to make up for leaving her, but tossed the notion away when he left a few minutes later. That was fine; she wanted to draw anyway and just try to forget about what had happened.

After a few hours had passed, Naminé began to worry. It was time for someone to come keep an eye on her, but no one had shown up. Usually, she hated it when others were there, but now she was anxious. Had something happened? Maybe Axel found out what she had heard, told Marluxia, and they were making their move now. Whatever that move may be. Naminé looked down at her picture; it was only a simple sketch, with mixtures of blues, blacks, and reds dancing across the page. The red had been a mistake; she had picked up the pencil and started scribbling without looking at it. Now it stood out and contrasted harshly with the deeper colors. Maybe it had something to do with a subconscious awareness of the aching bruises on her arms from the incident in the library.

Relief washed through her chest when she heard a portal, which was quickly replaced with a sinking feeling when she recognized the face that was watching her with careful, serpentine green eyes.

She wanted to run away again, but knew it was impossible for her to escape. Slowly, Axel approached her spot on the bed, a hand in the pocket of his coat. Fleeting images of torture devices hidden within that pocket began to haunt her. What did he want now? She didn't want to tell him anything else, but if she didn't, she knew she would experience a repeat performance. Naminé unconsciously dug her fingers into her blankets.

Axel stopped by the side of her bed, silent. The girl kept her head down, afraid to look at him. When, from behind her, the mattress sunk under his weight, she tensed up and shut her eyes. She heard the rustling of clothes, followed by a distinct _pop_.

An overwhelming scent invaded her nose, the kind where you can't really decide whether it's good or bad. The smell was pushed out of her mind, however, when something soft and terribly cold touched her. Hissing between her teeth, she instinctively flinched away from the touch.

A sigh, "It's cold, I know. Sorry."

It was like he had undergone a complete turnaround. Naminé was unsure if this was even the same person she had been with in the library. He was the Axel she knew again, or so she wanted to believe. He had proved he could easily switch in and out of both personalities. A few moments passed in which she didn't respond to his apology, so he continued.

She gave another wince at the contact of the cool substance, which then seemed to melt away as he rubbed it into her skin. It didn't take long for the heat of his skin to replace the cold, creating a soothing and numbing effect. The pain of her bruises seemed to disappear, like they had never been there in the first place. When he had finished with one arm, Naminé dared to speak.

"What is that?" She asked, just as he brushed her fair-colored hair over her shoulder, away from the untreated arm. The movement tickled her, and she resisted a shiver. She offhandedly realized that this was the first time she had seen his hands without the leather gloves.

"Some sort of ointment we picked up a while ago. It's supposed to help sprains and bruises and stuff," He answered.

"It smells weird."

A faint chuckle reached her ears, "Yea. It's probably from the toxin that- hey, no! Wait!"

At the word 'toxin', Naminé jolted away from the contact and made a desperate attempt to wipe it off on her sheets. Just as she had expected, he hadn't changed since the library. He still wanted to hurt her. It became even more obvious when he lunged for her, wrapping his fingers around her wrist to stop her, but promptly released her.

"It's not going to hurt you," He said, trying to keep his voice level, but she could sense the annoyance, "Only if you're an idiot and eat it will it mess you up."

Now she felt stupid; he probably thought she was ungrateful that he was trying to help. She glanced up at his frowning face and was surprised to see a yellowing bump just below his cheekbone. It had swollen slightly, giving him the look of being lopsided; on the area was a thin residue of the cream he was attempting to put on her. Questioningly, she met his eyes.

"What happened?" She gingerly reached out to touch the area. Axel flinched and took her wrist again, but did not push her away.

"A scuffle," He answered. Upon seeing the troubled look on her face, he elaborated, "With Sora. But he's okay, don't worry. He passed with flying colors."

The horror in her expression switched to curiosity, "'Passed'?"

"Oops. Wasn't supposed to tell you that. Unless," He turned his sly eyes on her, "You would like to tell me what you heard in the library. Then my tongue might accidentally slip," Grinning, he bit the tip of his tongue, as if to keep it from doing just that. Naminé did not look amused, immediately turning back around and pretending to ignore him. Axel watched the back of her head for a moment, thoughtful, then moved forward.

The girl froze when his hands planted themselves on either side of her legs, supporting his weight as he leaned over her to rest his chin on her shoulder. He whispered into her ear, "Don't worry, Naminé. I've made my choices. I don't need the information you are so keen on hiding."

To Naminé, it felt like the moment went on for ages, but really took only the few seconds for him to speak, and the contact was broken. His warmth still blazed on her skin, sending little shocks down her spine; it didn't occur to her until much later that his words may have been important. She wasn't given time to think about it at the present, for Axel had resumed rubbing the ointment on her other shoulder. His fingers had lingered a little too long on her skin as he brushed her hair away again, and she found that the places he touched tingled long after. By the time he finished, both of her arms seemed alive with a flame, and she wondered whether that was an effect of the ointment or him.

The scent of the cream had been unnoticeable until it was gone; Naminé peeked over her shoulder to see Axel pushing the top back on the small container. His lips were pulled down, but when he noticed her attention on him, he smiled.

"Feel better?"

Naminé nodded once.

"Good. Here," He reached into his other pocket and pulled out a tattered book, "You left this in the library. I have no idea why you would want to read it, but whatever."

Eyes wide, the girl took the book from his outstretched hand. It was the one she dropped while fleeing from him. Her fingers brushed over the marked out picture on front, wondering who had done it. A smile flitted across her lips as she gently bent it back and forth, admiring the use it had acquired. She glanced up at him and asked, "Have you read it?"

Axel nodded, "Yea, not for the faint of heart. That's why I'm surprised you want to read it."

"Oh," She flipped open the cover, where the words 'Property of FCPL' was written in scratchy writing, "Who's FCPL?"

"No idea. Someone must have picked it up on a mission and forgot to give it back," He shrugged, recognizing the accusing frown on her face, "What? The books had to come from somewhere. Did you think we just grew them in Marluxia's gardens?"

The idea elicited a peal of giggles from Naminé, which in turn brought about a grin from Axel. Affectionately, he ruffled her hair; the remaining bit of ointment caused her tresses to cling to his hands. The girl attempted to be angry, mustering her best scowl, but he only raised his brow and allowed a smirk to tug at his lips. He teased, "You might want to get that out. I think it speeds up baldness in some species."

"Thanks," She muttered, crawling forward to pull open her chest at the foot of her bed, "It's late anyway. Might as well take my bath," Awkwardly, she peered pointedly over her shoulder at him. Axel tucked his gloves in his pockets.

"I guess that's my cue to leave."

"Well, um, you can stay and wait for me," Naminé blurted. The redhead tilted his head, narrowing his eyes a bit; the girl blushed, "If you want."

Axel's lips twitched, "Not tonight. I have a few things to do."

"Oh," Naminé lowered her eyes in an attempt to hide her disappointment, "Okay."

Behind her back, the pyro was hesitating. His hand wanted to reach out, assure her that everything was alright, that he hadn't meant to treat her that way in the library. Hovering just inches from her exposed neck, the hand quivered, then clenched and fell back to his side.

Axel stood abruptly, "See ya, kid."

The girl blinked slowly as the redhead started towards the center of the room where a portal stood waiting. Just as he was about to pass through, Naminé rose to her knees and called, "Wait!"

Unseen by her, he winced, but looked over his shoulder silently. The girl bit her lip.

"Axel, can I… trust you?"

The pyro grinned, "Sure, you can trust me. You can do anything you want, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea. Why?" Naminé shuffled anxiously.

"No reason."

If she didn't want to elaborate, he didn't want to hang around. He turned away, waving his hand, "Goodbye, Naminé."

It didn't take long for him to return to his own room. Alone now, the pyro allowed his true thoughts to show on his face. That had not been good, he realized as he flopped down on his bed; he should never have gone to her. He knew even before he had decided to go that it would be a mistake. Satisfying the urges fueled by fake emotions never ended well, no matter the reason behind them. Now he had to deal with the results that were just another means to dilute the thoughts that were truly important. Once he finally figured out Marluxia's intentions, made his decision against him, and started forming plans of his own, he had to go and ruin everything because of _her_.

She was only a child, and for a brief moment he had found _pleasure_ in touching her; sick, twisted pleasure that qualified him for the deepest pits of Hell. He wanted to burn himself in his own flames for thinking such thoughts about her, no matter how brief and unimportant. In an attempt to justify himself, he repeated in his mind that it was because the supply of females in the area was poor. Sure, he had his interest in Larxene, but so did almost every member in the Organization. He wouldn't have been the least bit surprised to learn that even Xemnas had a go at her. Axel relieved himself by keeping these ideas in mind, but every time he forgot, the haunting images of Naminé stained his thoughts. She was only fifteen… the Savage Nymph was only about four years older than her, but that seemed okay. She _looked _her age. Naminé looked like she should still be eating sandwiches cut into triangles and holding her mom's hand. But she _was_ fifteen… almost…

He would just have to stay away from her for a little while. Let the images fade, then maybe he would see her again. He'd be fine. Besides, he had other things to think about; they would be dominant in his mind from now on.

Little did he know, his resolution was doomed from the start.

**XXXXX**

**OMG foreshadowing? D8 **

**Strangely enough, my favorite part of this chapter is actually the discussion between Lex, Vex, and Zex. Maybe because I've read the sorta fluff so many times that it's not as exciting. Or maybe it's not that exciting at all… I dunno. You tell me.**

**Axel scares himself. Poor guy. I betcha Naminé wouldn't have any problem with him thinking things about her. At least, I wouldn't…**

**To save any questioning or confusion, FCPL stands for my county's public library system. Is that considered a self-insert? Whoopsies. ****Hope this chapter didn't disappoint. Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading and thanks to all of you that have favorited/alerted this story and/or me!**

**Until Next Time,  
Manwathiel**


	4. Haze

**Sunday's here again. Man, this is going fast. We're gonna be done with this before we know it! EEK. I'm sorry this is another short one… except for one, the rest of the chapters should be about the same length as the previous chapter. Promise. :) **

**Thanks, Schmelly! I HEART YOU. **

**XXXXX**

Chapter 4- Haze

Naminé was quick to understand why Axel had said the book wasn't for the 'faint of heart'. The title, _Misery, _certainly lived up to its name; it had her cringing within the first few chapters. What made it worse were the similarities she could see between herself and the main character. Held against her will, forced into something she didn't want to do, abusing her skills… it was all right there, if only more violent. Needless to say, she didn't finish it. For a long while, it would lie hidden beneath her mattress. Guilt now accompanied any image of Zexion conjured up by her mind; he had taken the time to bring her to the library, and she had chosen a book that she couldn't bear to read.

What was more prevalent in her mind, however, were the words exchanged between her and Axel the day before. What had he meant by Sora passing, and why was her information no longer important to him? Just hours before he mentioned his scuffle with the boy, the pyro had been trying to force the information out of her, but now he couldn't care less. His mind was a labyrinth, littered with false turns and complex obstacles, and there was only one way to reach the center of it all. Unfortunately, he was the only one who knew that path, and Naminé couldn't foresee ever learning the secret road that Axel so deftly protected. She wondered if it was even possible to shed light on the workings of his mind. Like all lightness and darkness, when one side of him was exposed, another part was even more deeply hidden. You could only have half, and never all.

Most of her day was spent alone, drawing small doodles between attempts at reading her book. It wasn't until around midday that a portal interrupted her silence; she glanced up, then silently groaned. Marluxia. A small smile, reeking of superiority, graced his lips as he came to stand before the girl.

"Hello, Naminé. I hope your day has been well," His voice was so mockingly sweet that it made Naminé want to shudder. Without meeting his eyes, she nodded once.

"Mhmm."

"That's good."

Was she supposed to respond to that? If she was, she had nothing to say. Awkwardly, she shuffled her feet on the floor and tried to focus on her picture. The image seemed unfamiliar to her, like it had changed itself during her brief distraction. Now, the presence looming over her prevented her from remembering what she had been drawing. Marluxia shifted his weight, once again capturing her attention, but she hurriedly turned it elsewhere.

"Naminé," He said her name like a question, "Why won't you look at me?"

The girl immediately stared into his eyes, quivering as she did so, but fearing punishment if she disobeyed. The Assassin's lips curved into a small smile; he was trying to put her at ease with this attempt at kindness, she knew, but it would never work. She could never be at ease around him. It was impossible.

Just as she felt her resolve weakening, the man turned away and she slumped in relief; she released the breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. Marluxia said, "From now on, you will be responsible for yourself the majority of the time. Larxene and I have much to tend to, and we won't have time to see to you."

"What about the others?" Naminé asked, wondering if this was a curse or a blessing.

"Lexaeus, Vexen, and Zexion will be scarce as well, I believe," His tone was different as he said this, like it was almost painful for him to speak their names. The girl frowned.

"And Axel?"

Marluxia hesitated just long enough for Naminé to realize that something was wrong. Her body tensed, waiting to hear the terrible words that something had happened to him, that he had hurt himself or worse. Maybe he had challenged Sora again and lost, or he had been seen with her the night before. Was he even allowed to be with her? Not that it would've mattered to him… but she couldn't help but worry. With a blush, it occurred to her that she had no right to worry over him. He certainly wouldn't worry over her, so why should she give him that much?

"Axel isn't important right now," Marluxia answered in the few seconds it took the girl to realize the foolishness in her thoughts, "Not to you, at least."

The last comment made her curious. If she understood correctly, that would mean that the redhead must have been important to Marluxia somehow. And, judging by his tone, he didn't seem happy about it. Did that mean Axel's choice had been to side with the elders in the conflict plaguing them? Perhaps she was biased, but this relieved her. He wasn't like Marluxia. He was different. He was _good_. Naminé had to bite her bottom lip to keep from smiling.

"Anyway," The Graceful Assassin put himself back on track, "In the meantime, I have another mission for you."

"But I haven't finished the first one yet…" She trailed off, tilting her head.

"This is but a continuation," Marluxia assured her, striding towards her again. Naminé froze, clutching her sketchbook to her chest, "I want you to begin placing yourself in his memories now. Eliminate your Somebody from his mind, and Sora will think of nothing else but you; your own personal hero. I'm sure you would like that, wouldn't you?"

Yes, she would, she had to admit. She would do almost anything for someone to like her; not for her powers, but for _her_. There was no one in Castle Oblivion that wanted her for her, including Sora. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't ever truly win his affection. He would be her 'hero' for the wrong reasons, and she wasn't sure she could do that to him.

"I can't," She mumbled, "I can't erase Kairi completely."

Marluxia's attitude shifted, and he stared down at her with a raised brow, "And why not?"

"It's not possible. She's too strong in his memories," She spoke quickly, seeing the anger growing in his eyes, "It's not that I don't want to… I just can't."

Though still a bit stiff, the man's anger became irritation instead, "Have you ever tried?"

"No, but-"

"Then you don't know for sure, do you?" His smile twisted as he spoke, "I want you to erase Kairi from his mind. Do you understand?"

Defeated, or unwilling to argue, Naminé lowered her eyes and nodded solemnly, "Yes."

"Good," He placed his hand on her shoulder, like a pleased master and his dog, but the squeeze was too tight to be considered friendly. The girl winced against the new pain from her bruises. She had almost forgotten about them, instead putting more thought into how they were healed. Marluxia, noticing her discomfort, took in the faint discoloration of her skin. He quirked his head in thought, "Where did those come from, I wonder?" Another wince from the girl when his grip tightened, feigning curiosity and intending pain.

"It's nothing," She answered through her teeth.

"Really? It doesn't seem like nothing. Why won't you tell me what happened?"

"I fell."

"Did you?" His tone was dubious, and Naminé knew she hadn't fooled him. Marluxia studied the lines that wrapped around her skin, lightly brushing his fingertips over the area in a mockery of what Axel had done the night before, and then his hands suddenly fell tightly into place over the markings, setting a blaze on the tender muscles. The girl gave a sharp cry, nearly crumbling in her seat; memories of the library flashed before her eyes. Marluxia's voice was harsh now, devoid of all false sincerity and kindness, "It looks to me like you had an encounter quite similar to this one. I have to wonder what you may have been doing to deserve such treatment."

"Please…" Naminé gasped.

"Please, what?" The Graceful Assassin mocked, "Tell me what happened, Naminé. I don't want to hurt you. I merely want to know who did this to you so that I may… punish them."

Numbness tingled at the girl's palms, like thousands of needles prickling her skin. The pain was worse than before, but a different feeling was in her nonexistent heart this time. Instead of fear and anger, she felt the need to protect. Telling Marluxia that Axel had done this to her would be a mistake for both her and the pyro. If she was right and he had decided to join with the three elders, he and the Assassin were already on bad terms. Naminé didn't want any more trouble to come to the redhead, and she didn't want him to come looking for her when he found out she told. Not when he was the only one she called a friend.

"What's this?" Marluxia took a hand away and rubbed the pads of his fingers together. He brought them to his nose, sniffing, and he cringed ever so slightly. Narrowed, his eyes dropped back to Naminé, "And it seems someone made an attempt at fixing it. That eliminates quite a few suspects."

Despite the pain it would cause, Naminé jerked away, "_I_ did it, okay?"

"You are a terrible liar, little witch," The man murmured as he turned away and sat on the couch, "But no matter. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the puzzle. Now," He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. A devious smile plastered itself on his face, "How about a game of Chinese checkers?"

IOIOIOI

The images flashing in the orb were only smears of changing color and muted sounds that never processed. He had a job to do, a mission to accomplish, but he couldn't focus for the life of him. It seemed unimportant now, when really it should have been at the front of his mind, where instead were thoughts that screamed of perversion. One moment, he would be watching the boy and his friends converse about the slow dilapidation of their memories, and then he would abruptly lapse into the sick thoughts that continued to haunt him. His peridot eyes would haze over and an invisible fist would twist his stomach into knots, tugging and teasing and wrenching until he realized where his mind had strayed, and he would force the thoughts away. But inevitably, within seconds, they would make their hasty return, growing stronger with each rejection. A never ending process; one that was doomed to raise awareness and questions that he had no answer for.

"I have to wonder about your concern for Sora, Axel."

The orb cleared as the voice interrupted his wandering mind. Axel blinked a few times, willing away the haze in his eyes, and fixating his attention on the Savage Nymph. A small smirk curved her lips upon noticing his lack of attention. He pretended to ignore it as he said, "And you're not concerned?"

"Oh, I am. Good question," Larxene chuckled femininely, turning her back. She tapped her chin, thoughtful, then peered over her shoulder with a delicate brow raised, "But I'm more curious about why you're so interested in him. What does he offer you that we can't? That a _woman_ can't?"

_I can think of a woman that… oh, no! Not going there!_ Axel cringed against the direction her words were taking him. He expressed his discomfort in a scowl that would be misunderstood by her, but his face quickly smoothed out. He had to focus on the situation at hand. Sora. They were discussing Sora. Right. Okay, he could do this.

"He offers me information," He answered, masking his thoughts with calmness and choosing to ignore her last comment, "He became a Heartless. And those who become Heartless …"

"Lose all consciousness and free will. Becoming slaves to the darkness," Larxene finished with a nod, then crossed her arms as she turned to face him again, "What about it?"

Axel allowed the faintest of grins to show upon his face. Now she was distracted, so it was unlikely she'd realize he was more preoccupied with an entirely different topic. Studying her expectant expression, he knew that there was no chance she had noticed his flushed cheeks or clouded eyes when he was supposed to have been listening to Sora. He continued his explanation, "He was different. He maintained his free will even after becoming a Heartless. How many people can you think of who have done that? As far as I know, he's only the second."

Realization dawned in the Nymph's eyes and she tapped her chin, "The power of the heart… so you're interested in the heart of the Keyblade's chosen one?"

"Isn't our mission, as Organization XIII, to understand its mysteries? Its intricacies?"

The woman chuckled again, but there was a glint in her eyes this time that made Axel wary. His eyes narrowed as she uttered a simple, "Maybe."

"What do you mean, maybe?" He questioned. Larxene grinned devilishly as she sauntered towards him. The redhead remained still, gauging her intentions, until she was right upon him. He could feel his own heat reflect off her body, struggle to find its place again, and settle for blending with the cool air. Normally, he enjoyed this proximity with the Nymph, but now it was stifling. He wanted to take a step away, but that would only raise a red flag in the woman's mind. She would know something was up. A hand placed itself on his forearm, but he ignored it.

"I say maybe," She purred, "Because I'm not entirely convinced that's what you were really thinking about."

Axel tried to appear indifferent, "Oh?"

"That's right," She was in front of him now, staring up at him with a smile that said she knew more than what he thought. Paranoia began to eat at his stomach; he hadn't been _that_ obvious. He hoped not, at least. It's not like he had been moaning the kid's name… had he?

"What were you thinking?" He asked, fearing the answer.

"Nothing much," She tittered, twirling the drawstrings of his hood around her finger and giving them a little tug, "Except that you looked ready to assault the orb. So unless you have a thing for talking dogs and ducks…" She trailed off suggestively.

Axel shoved her away and stormed off, "Not funny."

As he disappeared into a portal, he could still hear her high pitched laughter echoing off the walls. A firm glare settled itself deeply on his face, accenting the marks that he was sure would become wrinkles if his skin ever lost its tautness and aged. Thank whatever was up there that would never happen, but he wondered if a slow fading into oblivion was really worth a youthful appearance. He had much to think about now, to get his own plans sorted out. Hopefully, he wouldn't be interrupted by any unwanted thoughts, but it was a little too hard to return to his room without visiting the white witch to make sure she was okay.

Not that he knew what he planned on doing in his room, of course. It was still early in the day, and Sora was probably still dawdling about the fourth floor. If he knew what was good for him, he would turn back, but he was too caught up in the hero image that he couldn't possibly allow himself to give up; especially now that he had a new little memory to ponder over, according to Marluxia. The conniving scythe-wielder had forced Naminé to begin inserting herself into the boy's memories in an attempt to drive out the true holder of his heart. Axel didn't know all the details, but it was enough for him. Marluxia had shown his true colors, and the redhead wasn't impressed.

Now, he just needed confirmation for his suspicions before he acted out the decision he had made when he encountered Sora. But then what about the elders? Vexen made it obvious he wasn't happy with him, Larxene, and Marluxia; no doubt, he had told Lexaeus and Zexion about his fears. If luck held out, he wouldn't have to worry about them, too.

Either way, he would embrace what was thrown his way, no matter the outcome.

**XXXXX**

**Hmm, whatcha thinkin' about, Axel? :snicker: **

**Holy freaking crap, did Larxene imply AkuSora? Uh oh. And no, this is not a 'coming out of the closet' thing for me. I shall happily continue to deny the existence of yaoi. Though I might occasionally indulge in insulting said atrocity… teehee. No offense to those of you who like it, of course. Just keep it away from me. I enjoy having my food in my stomach, thank you very much. **

**Hmm, I don't have much to say. This certainly isn't one of my better chapters, but I hope you guys enjoyed it anyway. Again, sorry about the shortness. Next one is **_**much**_** better. At least, I think so. And if you guys feel like stomaching a half-assed V-Day fic, go read the one I put up last night and make me feel a little less disappointed with it. Thank ya kindly. I also intend on putting something up for Eyes of Humanity sometime today... if you're following that, keep your eyes open.**

**Alrighty, guys! Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next Sunday! **

**Until Next Time,  
Manwathiel**


	5. Lie

**Damn site. Brief inconvenience my ass. Sorry for the delay, guys!**

**Le sigh. Oh well. This chapter gave me hell, as Schmelly would know. So many memories… but I like how it ultimately came out. Enjoy!**

**XXXXX**

Chapter 5- Lie

Axel couldn't help but grin like a madman as he leaned his head over the back of the couch to examine the titles on the bookshelf behind him. Take the Organization, Larxene had said only moments ago. Hah! Not if he had anything to do with it.

The little Nymph had just made the biggest mistake of her life. Right before leaving to take her own shot at Sora, she had told him the truth behind the plans she and the flower boy were concocting. Axel hadn't even been sure if he was right when he had mentioned overthrowing the Organization; it was just a guess, a whim that kept eating at the back of his mind. Larxene had given him exactly what he was looking for without even realizing it. Maybe if she survived this whole ordeal, he'd thank her before killing her himself. Member or not, _no one_ tried to betray the Organization while he was on duty. Marluxia and Larxene would have to come to terms with that eventually.

So, what was he to do while he waited for Larxene to return from her discussion with Sora? His first thought was to leap straight into his own plans, but he couldn't be hasty. It wouldn't be good to draw attention from Marluxia, though he had a feeling the Assassin was already suspicious of him. He was acting differently, and a curious look from him earlier that day hadn't done much to calm the nerves. Best avoid him for a while. There was no chance of the redhead venturing to the lower levels, so that left only one other person for him to visit. Very tempting…

Promising himself that it would only be a brief encounter, Axel promptly opened a portal and tore a new one just as quickly. As soon as he laid eyes upon the girl, the redhead felt that annoying twist in his gut. He had thought that it'd be gone by now, after not having seen her for almost two days. With a slight grimace, he wondered how long it would take for the sensation to subside. His attention was drawn away from that, however, when he heard a quiet gasp from the girl. She rose to her feet surprisingly fast.

"Axel!" She gasped, "I'm so sorry!"

The redhead frowned, tilting his head, "What?"

Naminé continued to plow on without giving him heed, "I didn't mean to tell Marluxia! He just figured it out!"

"Calm down," Axel attempted to ease her as he approached cautiously. The girl bit her bottom lip as her body tensed, preparing for him to realize what she spoke of. Surely he was here for only one reason, and that was to punish her. But it seemed he first wanted to feign ignorance; he continued, "Think you can tell me what's wrong without having a panic attack?" He was upon her now, just a couple feet away. He could easily reach her...

Clenching her eyes shut, Naminé spoke in one breath, "Marluxia saw the bruises on my arm and smelled the ointment and figured out that you were the only one who would have done it and said that-"

A leather-clad finger was placed on her lips, ending her longwinded rant. She looked up at the pyro with fearful eyes to see a strange combination of annoyance and amusement flickering across his features, "I thought I told you to calm down," He said. A blush rose up on her cheeks and she lowered her head. The finger was removed, "Okay now?"

"Mhmm," She mumbled.

"Good," He nodded, "Now, why did this have you freaking out?"

Naminé blinked in confusion, "You mean, you aren't mad?"

Axel shrugged, "Why should I be? What I do on my own time is my business, not Marluxia's," He paused for a moment, running his fingers through his hair, "And your business in this case, I guess. So don't worry, okay? Marluxia's just a big pansy ass anyway," A small giggle from girl was enough to elicit a grin from the redhead. As an afterthought, he added, "And technically, I can't be mad. I'm a Nobody, remember?"

"Oh, right," Naminé replied with what could have been described as a scoff, but to the redhead, that word didn't seem to fit her. Of course, finding the proper word didn't seem so important when, suddenly, her arms were around his waist and her cheek pressed against his torso. A contented sigh escaped her lips, and Axel felt the claws of those terrible thoughts tear at his mind for just a moment before his grip found her wrists.

"_Whoa, _watch it! Let's keep our hands to ourselves, shall we?" He said through gritted teeth, though he tried to keep a carefree air to his tone. He easily pushed her arms away and put another step between them, but he continued to hold her wrists. Her eyes questioned him, wondering why he rejected her. He said, "I happen to like my personal space."

"I'm just hugging you," She stated, as though it weren't obvious.

"Yeah, but _why_?"

Naminé frowned, "Because I'm happy to see you. When you didn't come back for a while, I thought something bad happened. I thought… Marluxia hurt you."

It took a moment for Axel to process her words, unsure of what to make of them. First of all, he was almost ashamed to think that this little girl thought it possible for him to be hurt enough to keep him from doing what he wanted. Maybe it could be attributed to the fact that she didn't know him well enough, but it was still insulting. He'd have to correct this later. And second of all, though he refused to admit it to even himself, he was flattered that she cared enough to worry about him. A part of him realized this would make a good excuse to come visit her again. Couldn't leave the witch upset, could he?

"Well…" He started to fill the silence, "Stop thinking. It's messing up your mind," _And mine_, he wanted to add. With a little more reluctance than he liked, the redhead released his hold on Naminé's wrists and replaced the contact with the familiar affectionate ruffle of her pale hair. The girl smiled shakily up at him, but it was quickly wiped off her delicate face when Axel's hand drifted from her head to gently brush her cheek with the backs of his fingers.

The action surprised not only her, but the pyro as well. Almost as soon as the touch had been made, he recoiled sharply and fisted his hands at his sides; it left her wondering if she had only imagined it. All signs of friendliness abruptly vanished from his face, instead replaced with hard stoicism; peridot eyes were suddenly like stone, and thin lips pressed into a hard line. Naminé found a fluttering feeling in her belly, like something trying to escape, and she felt unnaturally cold. Where had the warmth gone…?

"Axel…" Her voice was like a breath of a whisper, and she felt the urge to reach up and return the gesture, but the pyro had already turned away.

"See you later, kid."

"But-"

Too late. Axel paid no attention to her as he disappeared into a portal, leaving Naminé bewildered by the unexpected sensations reeling in her mind.

What was that about?

Chewing on her lips, the girl returned to her chair with much more on her mind than when she'd first left it. Even after he had gone, it felt like everything about her was frigid except for where he had caressed her skin. He had never done that to her before, nor had he ever reacted in such a way. He wasn't always kind to her, or talkative, but he never walked out on her without even an attempt at an explanation. Naminé may not have had any memories of her own, but she was able to realize that Axel hadn't meant to touch her. If he hadn't reacted as he did to it, maybe she wouldn't be pondering over it now, but she was. With a blush, the girl wondered if maybe he was thinking about it, too.

A pang of something gripped at her body. Why did that make her blush? Axel had touched her many times before; he was the only one that made an attempt to be friendly, even if the attempt wasn't always successful. So what was it about this one instance that made her mind spin and chest ache? Why wouldn't the giddy smile disappear from her lips? Why couldn't she wait to see him again?

Why couldn't she think of the right word to describe this new idea? Part of her wished the encounter had never happened, while the other part was determined to live it over and over again. Such a small, fleeting touch…

And it was already the flaring beacon in a world filled with nothingness.

Meanwhile, safely back in the meeting room with plenty of time to spare, Axel slumped against the wall with a frustrated sigh. This was what he deserved for going back on his resolution! He told himself not to go see her, but he did anyway. And what did he do? Let his guard down and allowed his thoughts to become reality. Touching her in such a way was insanity, no matter how brief or seemingly innocent. If she was half as intelligent as he believed her to be, then surely she would have no problem putting two and two together. Hell, she would probably figure out what was going on in his mind before _he_ was able to.

So, what was going on? His first thought was that he was just a perverted guy that stalked prisoners, but he was too good for that. Or so he thought. Perhaps this was just terrible boredom manifesting itself in socially unacceptable ways? That theory was a little better. But that left one other idea, and that one he certainly wouldn't accept.

Lae once loved a girl; that memory was still fresh in Axel's mind. He could remember being aware during those long days and nights, conscious of the meaningless words and passionate touches. Something about it always brought Axel to the front, so that sometimes he wondered if it was actually _him_ with that girl; maybe he was drawn to the imaginary fire, like he was now. He always loved to hang it over the other members' heads that he was the only one who wasn't a virgin, much to their aggravation, even if he knew that it probably wasn't even possible for him to take over his Somebody. Maybe that's why being able to connect those memories with his current thoughts was so troubling; they were too similar for comfort.

No way did he have a thing for Naminé. Social norms had never bothered him, but that was before he started imagining kissing a fourteen-soon-to-be-fifteen year old girl; all of this because he tried to make up for hurting her by putting some ointment on her bruises. Something had to be wrong with him. If anyone found out about this, no doubt he would be Dusked before he even had a chance to open his mouth and explain. Would he even have an explanation? No, probably not…

Fortunately, Larxene took this moment to arrive, promptly driving these thoughts out of Axel's mind. It was too easy to keep himself occupied when she was around, too easy to get her riled up. If he had to develop a freakish obsession with someone, why couldn't it have been the Nymph? She was his age, she was pretty. But nope! It was Naminé he had to like.

Well, not that he was admitting it… it was just a possibility. A very unlikely possibility.

The pyro had some difficulty in keeping his mind on the subject at hand, especially when Vexen decided to show up and complicate things with just his presence alone. Axel wondered if it was the Academic himself that was frustrating or the reaction that he incited from Larxene every time the two Nobodies conversed. As the redhead predicted, Larxene and Vexen were quick to jump into their usual banter so, before things could escalate, Axel stepped in between them.

"Can we help you, Vexen?" He started, cutting off the Savage Nymph as she opened her mouth to retort to some insult that the pyro hadn't bothered to catch, "We don't see you outside of your caves very much."

Vexen cast him a scowl, "I came to lend a hand. This 'hero' you've been coddling has not yet lived up to his reputation, so I would like to try a little experiment to put my doubts to rest."

Larxene tossed her hand, scoffing under her breath as she did so, "I knew this would happen," She muttered with an aggravated sigh. Axel cast a sidelong glance in her direction as she continued, "Everything we do, you always want to experiment. Why don't you find your own guinea pig and let us have our fun?"

"I'm a scientist," He replied simply as a small smirk grew upon his lips, "Experimentation is what I do."

"Drop the act, Vexen," Axel interjected again, knowing that continuing in this direction would only lead to another pointless battle of wit between the Chilly Academic and Savage Nymph. Both Nobodies lowered their glares on him, but the pyro easily ignored it with a knowing glance, "Larxene may be an idiot, but I'm not. Just admit that testing Sora is nothing but an excuse to show off your little follower."

A curse from Larxene directed at Axel went unheeded.

"'Follower'?" Vexen repeated incredulously, "He is the product of much research that you could never hope to obtain, Number VIII; you should respect your elders and their achievements."

The Nymph sneered, "Just say that it's a toy."

"I see I'm wasting my time."

"Okay, Vexen, if it'll make you happy, we'll let you help out," Axel finally agreed with a roll of his eyes. For one who held himself in such high esteem, Vexen sure did act childishly sometimes. Axel withdrew a blue card from his pocket on which a colorful image of an island was engraved and he handed it over to the Academic, "Take this and have fun. It's a present especially for you; even made it myself. Now, don't tell me I don't respect my elders."

Upon seeing the image on the card, Larxene gasped and rounded on Axel, "Where'd you get that, huh? I don't remember Marluxia telling you to get Destiny Island data."

"That's because he didn't, my savage little nymph," The pyro replied with a snarky grin, "But I, unlike you, can think on my own."

Over the fuming of the Nymph, Vexen said, "Impressive, Number VIII. And I thought all of you neophytes were worthless."

Axel crossed his arms over his chest and smiled dryly, "Sorry to disappoint you. And I have a name, you know. It's Axel. A-X-E-L. Try to commit that one to memory, unless you're too senile."

Fortunately for the pyro, the Chilly Academic was not able to fulfill his desire of lobbing off Axel's head with his shield and encasing his body in a block of ice, due to the arrival of the 'product of much research'. After examining the replica and witnessing the torture that Larxene gleefully put it through, the redhead had to admit that the old man was pretty good at science. It was a shame that he couldn't put it to something more productive, such as developing better people skills or deflating his massive ego.

It was a relief to be able to escape to his bedroom later that evening. It was becoming a sort of safe haven for Axel now that he actually had something to think about. Between thwarting Marluxia's and Larxene's schemes and stumbling over Naminé, he had enough to keep him busy for hours. In those few hours, he decided on two things: one, the narrowing gap between him and the girl would need to widen quickly, and two, he would complete number one by using her simply as another pawn in his ploy. By doing this, he would reveal the traitors, destroy the trust between him and Naminé, make it impossible for them to meet again, and... she would be free, just like he promised she would be.

If only he knew he would be making good on this promise so soon after making it, maybe he wouldn't have made it in the first place.

IOIOIOI

A puff of breath escaped the Graceful Assassin's lips, gently rustling his curly mane. Small wrinkles marred the skin between his eyes, shut tightly in thought, and two fingers massaged his left temple; how was it possible to have things running so smoothly, but still feel so much stress? It felt like he was constantly walking on a tightrope, and his balance was probably more dangerous than the rope itself. Like a performer at a circus; on one end of his balance pole sat the Savage Nymph, loyal to him and their cause yet sardonic and untrustworthy, and on the other was the Flurry of Dancing Flames, energetic and as unpredictable as the element he mastered. Both of them carried him on their shoulders and they could throw him off balance just as easily as righting him again. And waiting below were the ones that would surely let him to fall to his death if they caught wind of his true goal. There was no safety net in this act. Sometimes he wondered if it was even worth it, but it took little more than a thought of the oppression he would endure otherwise to remind himself the point of all of this.

A girlish 'hmph' from across the room caused his frown to deepen.

"What's wrong, Marluxia?" Larxene demanded as she crossed one leg over the other. Her foot bobbed impatiently in the air, "You're acting like a depressed brat."

The man offered a small smile, "How'd the fight with Sora go today?"

Scowling, the woman turned her head away, "I threw it on purpose, okay? That's what we're supposed to do."

Marluxia chuckled, swatting away the retort with a gentle wave of his hand, "You did well, Larxene. He took the card, gave in to the false memories of Naminé, and you came out unscathed. That's all that matters, right? I couldn't have done it better myself."

Larxene grumbled under her breath, though she was clearly humbled by his words. Without meeting his eyes, she faced him again and said, "You're avoiding my question."

"I'm simply…" He hesitated, a first for the confident scythe wielder. The woman leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees, "I'm concerned. Axel's involvement in this does not bring as much comfort as I would expect. He may be a part of the Organization, but I don't believe he would have any trouble working on his own," Idly, Marluxia's finger traced the ornate patterns on the sofa and his eyes drifted away. Larxene pursed her lips before letting loose a laugh stifled delicately by her hand. The Assassin returned his attention to her.

"You give that idiot too much credit!" She jeered, "Axel couldn't think his way out of a cardboard box."

Marluxia rested his eyes on his clasped hands, "Maybe that is what he wants us to believe. Sometimes I wonder if he does more thinking than he lets on, perhaps more so than any of us realize," A gloved finger picked at loose threads, "His behavior may be idiotic at times, but his mind is on a different path entirely."

"He told me he was in on this, too," Larxene's voice was adamant, like she refused to agree with any view point other than her own, "Even if he does hide his true self, we know that his thoughts run parallel with our own."

An amused chuckle caused her to narrow her eyes at the Assassin. With a small smile, he said, "Have you ever wondered why no one can ever win against Luxord in a card game? I think it is because he is the most emotionless of us all, the bearer of a true poker face. His _lies_ win the game, not his luck. A simple lie will allow a pair of twos to defeat a royal flush."

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying, what if Axel is playing his own card game? What if he, the pair of twos, is bluffing us, the royal flush, out of the bet? A cunning plan, perhaps, but one that he has made far too obvious. He cannot match the emotionless face of Luxord," Marluxia glanced at her gaping face, "Anyone can lie, Larxene."

Tiny sparks crackled around the woman's body as rage rapidly built up. A new fire danced to life in her eyes and her hands balled up into fists on her knees, "How _dare_ he try to string us along like that! Who does he think he is?"

"Calm down," The Assassin tried to soothe her, "This is all hypothetical; a possibility. We shouldn't judge him just yet."

"So then what are we supposed to do?"

"A test of his loyalty."

"How?"

The conniving smirk that she had come to recognize lit up Marluxia's face. Larxene, not having even heard his idea yet, couldn't help but slowly mirror his expression. The man scratched his chin like they were discussing nothing more important than the weather and said, "How much would you miss Vexen if something were to tragically cut his nonexistence short?"

"Not at all," The Nymph was quick to respond with a disgusted huff, though her face had changed to one of confusion, "But why Vexen?"

"Because he is like Axel fifty years later, if you catch my drift. He questions things too much for his own good, and I fear that he, Zexion, and Lexaeus have ideas of their own. Ansem didn't name them his apprentices without good reason. They may be senior members, but their minds are as sharp as ever."

"Blind luck is the only thing they have on their side," Larxene sneered. Marluxia shook his head.

"Maybe you are the one that doesn't give credit where it is necessary. I don't think it was coincidence that they were able to obtain a replica of that boy. There is a reason for it, and I doubt it is to help us."

Larxene waved her hand, "You're being paranoid."

Marluxia sighed, "I hope so."

When silence continued for a few moments, the Nymph let out a sigh of impatience. To keep herself occupied, she stood from the sofa and meandered over to the bookshelves lining the back wall. Her fingers glided over the titles, not pausing to read them, until she plucked one out at random. Bright, teal eyes glanced discreetly at Marluxia, who still had not moved from his position. Larxene pursed her lips and narrowed her gaze as she said, "So… what's your plan then? We've got to have a reason for Axel to kill Vexen. We can't just say, 'Hey, Axel, go have some fun and kill Number IV. Don't worry, we'll cover you when the Superior tries to turn you into a Dusk'. He's not that dumb."

"No, you're right. He isn't that dumb, unfortunately," Marluxia agreed, "So I think the best approach is just to wait for Vexen to slip up somewhere."

"But that could take forever! Axel could have us all wrapped around his finger by then."

The Graceful Assassin nodded as a small smile curved his lips, "This is true, but you must also remember one thing: Vexen is weak, a coward on all of his missions. To boost his own pathetic ego, he boasts about his meaningless rank of IV. And to top it all off, he is petrified of Xemnas. All that we have to do is give him an impossible mission under the threat of informing the Superior if he fails, and he will crumble to our will."

"Okay…" Larxene trailed off, clearly not convinced, "So what's Axel supposed to do?"

"Axel's job will be to wait for him to mess up, then eliminate him for his incompetence."

"That'll never work," She muttered. Frowning, the Savage Nymph plopped back down on the sofa and flipped to the first page of her book, "Whatever. You're the boss."

Marluxia chose not to acknowledge her words.

IOIOIOI

He should have been asleep by now, Axel thought as he stared out the window. He should have been completely oblivious to the world around him and lost in his dark dreams, not sitting cross legged in the middle of his bed and pouting like a stubborn child. The left side of his face was red from lying in one position too long and he had trouble focusing the eye on that side because of it. He imagined he looked terrible, half his hair flattened, but he tried not to let it bother him too much. He had been caught in a worse state before, and that had certainly not been pretty. Still, it was with contempt that Axel stared at this unwelcome intruder. How dare Zexion crash his one-man slumber party before the pyro even had a chance to get started on the slumber part? This was _his_ party, damn it, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with the Schemer. Axel desperately wanted to hurl a flaming chakram at the elder's head, but remembered that Zexion was still his superior at Castle Oblivion, and so his plan was thwarted with a stern glare.

And that was how the redhead found himself pouting in the middle of his bed with nothing to listen to except the careful drawl of the Cloaked Schemer's voice.

"Honestly, Axel," Zexion sighed, "You could at least pretend that your maturity level is greater than that of an infant."

A sarcastic grin flickered onto the pyro's face, "I think I like being immature."

Even in the dim lighting, Axel could have sworn he saw a vein pulsing in the other Nobody's temple. Good. He deserved it. A muscle twitched in the Schemer's jaw as he said, "Cooperating will allow me to leave sooner and you will be able to return to your beauty sleep."

"You think I'm beautiful?"

"Axel."

"I know I'm beautiful."

"_Axel_."

The redhead popped his lips, "Yea?"

It wasn't easy to frustrate the youngest of the elders, but it was certainly worth it if you could manage it. Irritation manifested itself by forcing Zexion to run his fingers through his hair and tug lightly at the roots. If he could actually age, he'd probably be bald by the time he was thirty because of this habit, a fact that a few members liked to remind him of. Fortunately, he _wouldn't_ age, so he could tug as much as he wanted, "Please, Axel," He forced out, "I would be more than happy to leave you be, but you must work with me for_ once_."

Axel considered it for a moment as he leaned back onto his palms. He quirked his head to the side, "I'm listening."

Zexion started, surprised that the pyro would so quickly give in to his wishes. A taunting smirk flitted upon Axel's lips, visible even in the dark, so the Cloaked Schemer pressed on as though he had anticipated such an easy victory from the beginning. He ignored the other Nobody's quiet snicker.

"After much discussion between Vexen, Lexaeus, and I, we have come to fear that something is amiss aboveground with you neophytes. We would like to assure you that, if something is indeed not well, the three of us are willing to offer our help," Zexion paused, clearly hesitating, "Axel,_ is_ there anything wrong?"

The pyro grinned, "Depends on what you mean by 'wrong'."

"Wrong, meaning something isn't right."

"Descriptive," Axel mocked. He lolled his head to his other shoulder and spat out a lie without a thought, "Thanks for your concern, but we _neophytes_ are just fine," A moment passed in which the room was silent. It was then that Axel took in the anxiety that Zexion so desperately tried to hide, and the pyro snapped to attention. Swiftly, he swung his legs off the side of the bed and leaned forward; the Cloaked Schemer took a step back, wary of his cohort's intention. Axel, hardly noticing this, continued, "There's something else, huh?"

"We don't trust you, Axel," Zexion started immediately, "And you know that. But we trust you more than Marluxia and Larxene. Not much more, however, and that is what makes this difficult."

The pyro snorted, "What have I done to make you not trust me?"

The Cloaked Schemer narrowed his eyes, "Nothing, though you haven't done anything to help you, either."

"That hurts," Axel placed a hand over where his heart should have been and grinned when Zexion ran his hand through his hair again. It was just too much fun to ruffle the elder's feathers, and the pyro would have gladly continued were it not for his words. He didn't know why they seemed to trust him more than the other two, and yet he was able to understand it. Marluxia and Larxene had their own plans now and, somehow, the other three managed to catch wind of it, or perhaps they only had a hinting feeling as he did. Still, he had his own plans to carry out, and those depended on the completion of the Assassin's and Nymph's schemes. While still upholding his usual guise, the redhead decided to dig a little deeper into Zexion's purpose. Pursing his lips, he said, "So, is that the only reason you came up here? To tell me you trust me, but not really?"

"No," Zexion answered tersely, "I came to ask you a favor."

"And that would be?"

The Schemer hesitated, "I need data," When Axel raised one brow, the elder elaborated, "Of Sora's home. I know that you must have some."

The pyro hummed thoughtfully, rolling his head from side to side, and abruptly froze when the request completely processed. Data… of Sora's home…? His wide eyes flickered to Zexion, who had narrowed his gaze and was watching him carefully. Axel's jaw fell slack for just a moment before he snapped it closed and threw up the carefree guise again.

"We might have some lying around," He said slowly. Or it could also be implanted in the Riku Replica already, he added to himself. The pyro was uncertain if informing the Schemer of this was the best idea, especially if Vexen was showing signs of possibly helping the aboveground members. Though Axel doubted that it would last long, there was still a chance.

"I would hope that it isn't just 'lying around'," Zexion drawled cautiously, not having been fooled by the pyro's quick attempt at hiding his apprehension.

"Depends on why you want it," Axel added. A smile curved the Schemer's lips then; not one of reassurance, but one that put the pyro on edge and made him wonder what else was going on in the castle that he should have known about. Especially since he hadn't seen him or Lexaeus since the library, and he knew that whatever they had been talking about, they hadn't wanted it overheard. Still, Zexion did say he trusted him… somewhat…

"There are some things I am not willing to share," Zexion replied, crossing his arms. Axel narrowed his eyes, "Just as I know there are things you are hiding from me."

The pyro's lips pulled back in a sneer and he wanted to deny the fact Zexion so easily discerned, but he knew the Schemer was too bright to fall for any false truths that he could offer. Ignoring the smug smile the elder had plastered on his face, Axel rolled his eyes and looked away, "Yea, we have some, but I think Marluxia holds on to most of it."

A half truth. Marluxia _did_ hold on to the data, but the only data on Destiny Islands that the pyro knew of was currently making itself useful by convincing the replica that it was the real thing. To learn that the Assassin did have a copy somewhere wouldn't be surprising, but there was no obvious reason for it. And if Marluxia didn't have any, how could the redhead obtain it? _Again_?

"Will that be a problem?" The haughty, you-don't-fool-me tone was back. It was becoming increasingly difficult not to strangle the Nobody.

"No, of _course_ not," Axel said through gritted teeth, disregarding the fact that it _would_ be quite a problem, "I'll just skip up to him and ask for data that I'm not even allowed to touch. Sure, no problem."

"That sounds perfect."

"Dumb ass."

Zexion smiled, as though the insult had been a compliment, "Thank you for your cooperation, Axel. We will be sure to send a gift basket to show our gratitude."

"You can take that basket and shove it right up your-"

"Goodbye, Number VIII."

The hiss of the portal drowned out Axel's final choice words and the visitor disappeared within, leaving the pyro to his own business. Under normal circumstances, this business would include flopping back down on his bed and falling into a sleep so deep not even an explosion could wake him up, but the Schemer had pulled just enough strings to keep Axel muttering and scowling for hours. Now he had yet another thing to keep him occupied. How was he supposed to obtain that sort of information? Getting it before had been simple; all he had to do was sift through Sora's memories during the fight and presto! Destiny Island data. Now, even if Marluxia _did_ have some, no doubt he would notice if something that important were to go missing, and the pyro was sure that he would be the prime suspect. By agreeing to help, he realized, he could have put his own goals in jeopardy.

Hopefully, it wouldn't jeopardize the goal that was becoming increasingly more important than all the others.

**XXXXX**

**I love writing Axel. He's such an ass. X3**

**I found a song that reminds me so much of Demyx, for some reason. Especially one of the choruses that talks about how he knows he doesn't make a good soldier, but he'd protect her 'til the death. I also imagine that that's how would sound were he to sing. It makes me want to write a DemyxNaminé centered on it. For those who are curious, it's "Write You a Song" by Plain White T's. A cute little song. I suggest taking a listen on YouTube. :) **

**I don't think I have much else to say… we've got a little AkuNami development, yea? Next chapter will delve into their relationship a little more. :secretive giggle: **

**Okay, guys, thanks for reading! Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. See you next Sunday!**

**Until Next Time,  
Manwathiel**


	6. Hope

**Chapter six marks half way point. Already. Geez.**

**Another favorite of mine. Though I am kinda nervous about it… something I did seemed like a good idea at the time, now I'm not too sure. But I don't wanna exert the effort to change something that works every other way. Oh well. We'll see how it's taken, yea? Enjoy!**

**XXXXX**

Chapter 6- Hope

"If my mind revolved around everything pink and flowery," Axel murmured to himself, "Where would I hide something that I wanted to keep away from me? Hmph. Beats me."

The pyro knocked his foot against the wall; the sole of his boot left behind a small scuff on the pearly white marble. With a mischievous grin, Axel decided to continue this defacement by trailing a line of black for a good few feet or so, then attempting a 'VIII' at the end. After all, it wasn't _his _fault that he was wandering the castle in the middle of the night; blame Zexion for waking him up and giving him so much to think about that he couldn't quiet his mind for more than a minute. If he was going to be kept from sleeping, then he would have to entertain himself. What better way was there than to leave little surprises for them to clean up in the morning? Of course, he would probably be the one on his hands and knees with a dirty sponge and a bucket of soapy, brown water…

Satisfied for the moment, the pyro slumped against the wall and began an erratic drumming with his fingers. What else could he do when he had absolutely no idea where to find the data that the idiot Schemer had asked for? It made him realize that maybe he didn't have as much power in Castle Oblivion as he thought he did. The notion frustrated him to no end; despite having ranks, they were very rarely utilized back at the Castle That Never Was. Now, he couldn't even obtain a small piece of data that would have been readily available were it not for Marluxia's obsession with upholding the new ranking. Out of frustration, Axel let a growl slip between his teeth. This was _not_ what he signed up for.

Pushing away from the wall, the pyro continued wandering down the hall that only seemed to lead to a bright light. If he had just thought to make a copy of the data before he passed it off to Vexen, this wouldn't have been necessary. Perhaps if he found Sora again, swiped the data without him noticing, and made a quick getaway…

The idea was crazy, but it would be better than trying to talk it out of Marluxia, only to find out he didn't even _have_ any. A corridor of darkness opened before the pyro and he entered and exited the world that was Betwixt and Between to emerge in the room in which he, Marluxia, and Larxene often congregated. It was a miracle that no one was there; Axel took the opportunity that luck had granted him and started towards the translucent orb in the center of the room. He placed his hand upon it and, after a few moments, a milky haze began to form within. Colors bled into the orb, mixing and swirling and taking the shape of three figures huddled against a corner. When the haze cleared, Axel smiled.

Sleeping. How easy was _this_?

As the pyro circled around the orb to get a better vantage point and, hopefully, a better idea of the exact location of Sora and his friends, fate suddenly decided that it _was_ too easy, for a portal that the redhead did not summon interrupted the quiet of the meeting room. Axel cursed under his breath as he froze in place. Who in the hell was awake at this hour?

"What are you doing, Axel?" The visitor questioned with a wary calm. The pyro forced his eyes away from the orb to look at the one that he didn't even need to see to recognize. His voice alone was enough to send a chill up Axel's spine. Still, he masked the disgust with a grin as he turned to face the Graceful Assassin.

"Oh, you know," The redhead idly tapped two fingers against the glass, "Snooping around. Causing trouble," Which, technically, wasn't a lie. Fortunately, he did those things often enough to not be considered suspicious because of it. With one last glance at the sleeping figures in the orb, Axel removed his hand from the cool surface and allowed the image to disappear. Having been discovered, he knew he would not have the opportunity to make his move now. Marluxia's careful eyes were still on him, narrowed ever so slightly, and the pyro couldn't help but turn up his chin in defense. He was telling the truth for once. Why did he doubt him? It didn't occur to Axel that doubt might be preferable in this particular instance.

Marluxia nodded once then and murmured a quiet, "I see."

Was that it? The pyro was almost hesitant to leave, too anxious now that the Assassin had responded in a manner that was not at all characteristic of him. Axel shuffled his feet for a moment, then decided on a hasty exit. Forcing his usual grin, the redhead gave a quick wave and said, "If you don't have anything else to say, I think I'll just-"

"As a matter of fact," Marluxia interrupted. Axel felt his stomach plummet, "I do have something else to say."

"Oh, yea? And what's that?"

"I spoke with Larxene earlier this evening and she informed me that you intend on aiding in our plans to overthrow the Organization."

Despite his best attempts to conceal it, a small smirk curved Axel's lips. It was even more satisfying hearing it from the mastermind himself! If there were any doubts still itching at the back of his mind, they were silenced now. Marluxia could never try to deny it when his plans fell through; both traitors had confirmed it. Now, they could only await the punishment that would soon be dealt upon them. The pyro tilted his head from side to side as he crossed his arms over his chest; out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Assassin tense. Good. He was right to do so.

"I may have said something like that, yea," Axel answered slyly, "But, you know, I haven't heard what's in it for me."

"Your hide being spared, though I don't believe you truly deserve even that."

Axel sucked a breath between his teeth, "That's cold."

The Assassin offered a small shrug, "You asked."

"Glad to know I'm so valuable," The pyro retorted with sarcasm dripping from his voice. He shifted his weight to one side, "So why are you asking? I'm sure Larxene told you everything."

Marluxia nodded as he started towards the orb. Axel's muscles tensed in preparation for anything that the Assassin may attempt, and the familiar licking at his fingers was a reminder of the fire that so readily and eagerly obeyed his will. His caution would go unfounded, but he had learned never to assume. Marluxia gently touched his fingers to the glass surface, but no image was conjured. He said, "Axel, how far would you go to support our cause?"

The redhead quirked one brow, "Why? What's the matter?"

"It's a hypothetical question. Answer it."

"No need to get defensive."

"Answer it, Axel."

The pyro narrowed his serpentine eyes, "I would go as far as I felt necessary."

Hesitation sparked in the pause that followed. Such wariness from the Assassin was rare and it put Axel on edge more so than he already was; for just a moment, the excursion to obtain data had been cast out of the pyro's mind as his focus shifted to the words that slowly slipped past Marluxia's lips, "If it were necessary to eliminate one of our own, would you do it?"

The answer was too easy, "Yes," Axel said, "I would," _Because I'm going to kill you_, he added on in his mind. Here, alone without any distractions, it would be so easy to do just that and end this before it even had the chance to begin, but a part of Axel wanted it to continue. He wanted to see the arrogance grow, the confidence blossom, and then he wanted to be the one who shattered it all to pieces. As though he were greeting an old friend, the pyro clapped Marluxia a bit too roughly on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it. I got your back. I don't know if you have mine, but you can sure as hell guarantee that I'll be watching out for you."

Marluxia must not have noticed the double meaning of the pyro's words, for the anxiety vanished from his face and a small smile graced his lips. He nodded his thanks, "I am pleased to hear that. It puts me at ease."

"Good," Axel said, "Now, it's my turn to ask a question."

"Certainly."

"Why the hell are you awake?"

The Assassin managed a small smile, "A nightly ritual, I guess you can call it. I use the time to check on Sora's progress."

"You know," Axel frowned, curling his lip a bit, and a spidery hand tangled in the hair at the base of his neck, "That's a little creepy. If he manages to get through this, the poor kid's going to have nightmares about people stalking him."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing he won't get through this. At least, not without losing a part of himself in the process," Marluxia easily replied, as if anticipating such a comment, "Now, why are _you_ awake?"

"I had the strangest dream about a pansy ass with girly flowers following me. Oh wait, that's not a dream, is it?"

Marluxia didn't respond to the comment. Denying Axel the pleasure of seeing him insulted was infinitely more satisfying than getting angry with the pyro. After all, it was just like a child demanding attention from his mother by pulling another child's hair; negative attention, perhaps, but in Axel's mind, negativity and positivity were synonymous with one another. As he had anticipated, the redhead's features had taken just a slight downward turn; frustration that he had not received the expected reaction. Marluxia allowed a satisfied smirk to grace his lips before he turned his attention to the orb beneath his fingertips.

"I take the silence as my cue to leave," The pyro said.

"You would be correct."

The pyro didn't bother with a goodbye as he allowed a portal to engulf him, returning to the hall in which he had originally been. Well, that had certainly been interesting, and not because he learned that Marluxia had a disturbing habit of watching people while they slept. Axel may not have gotten what he was originally after, but perhaps what he did find was infinitely more important than some piece of data that Zexion could easily acquire himself if he would just get off his ass. With a smirk, the redhead admired the black lines marring the smooth surface of the marble walls that he would probably have to clean tomorrow. Aside from that particularly embarrassing possibility, maybe things were about to turn around in his favor.

IOIOIOI

Larxene had to be worse than Marluxia. It seemed impossible that so much cruelty could manage to so tightly embed itself in her nonexistent heart, but somehow it did. The way she could jest about her actions made Naminé sick to her stomach. That she could look at a person in pain and laugh indicated that maybe she really was emotionless, perhaps more so than anyone else. Then again, it was excitement in her eyes as the screams echoed off the walls, so maybe the only emotion she had was hatred. Naminé couldn't understand. And how could the others stand by and let it happen? Vexen… Vexen created this Riku, this replica, and yet he hadn't batted an eye yesterday when it fell to the ground, cornered by the Nymph. And Axel had encouraged the idea, even provided the means to do it by giving Vexen that Destiny Island data! The thought made Naminé tense up, refusing to believe someone who had been so kind to her could be so coldhearted. It made her wonder what he was showing her when they were alone: the real thing or a façade.

But what was worse was that the terror that had radiated from the replica continued to haunt her, even after he had been taken away. She never imagined someone could experience so much fear, but the fake Riku did. So much fear that even she herself was afraid for her own wellbeing. What if something happened to her, too? Would she suffer the same fate?

Of course not, she reminded herself as she brushed a tear from her eye. She was the dealer of such punishment. She was the one who altered his memories so he would think he was someone he could never hope to be, someone he never even _wanted_ to be, but Naminé did it anyway because she was afraid of being the next target. Her cowardice brought him pain and now there was nothing she could do to fix her mistake. He had been given the chance to rest overnight, to allow himself to recover both physically and mentally, and then he came back to her before he left to fight his 'enemy'. He had looked at her and smiled, told her he would protect her, and all she could do was smile back and further the terrible lie.

Was she really one of the bad guys now? Was she just as responsible for this as Marluxia was? No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't imagine how it would be otherwise. She could say no, say she would never help them, but in the end, she knew she would wind up battered and bruised with a pencil in her hand, drawing the next lie. There was no other way. She knew no other way. All she could do was go with the flow and hope that Axel's words to her would come true.

All birds find their wings, right? So what was taking her so long?

With another sniff, Naminé glanced down at her most recent drawing in her lap and smiled. Gentle fingertips brushed over the colors, hoping that maybe one day this wish would come true.

IOIOIOI

Howling laughter echoed around the chamber, bouncing off every surface and increasing to a volume that would have caused anyone to cringe otherwise. Little attention was being paid now to the glowing orb in the center of the room. Reflected inside was a struggle going on between two boys, one brunette and one silver, and the strongest was easily discernable. When the silver haired boy was knocked to the ground for the umpteenth time, the slowly diminishing laughter erupted again in tenfold.

"Look…look!" Larxene gasped, pointing at the orb. Tears of mirth had pooled at the corners of her eyes. A slightly more subdued Axel grinned, arms crossed, as he shook his head in disbelief. Honestly, how much weaker could that replica get? Sora easily tossed him about without even the aide of his two tagalongs, and not once, but twice! _Twice_ the little brat beat him into the dirt. It seemed Vexen's Riku was all talk and no fight, just like the creator. Hmm… what was that old saying?

"Like father, like son," Axel mocked, unleashing another onslaught of hysterics that nearly brought the Savage Nymph to her knees. The redhead couldn't help but beam, causing the two marks under his eyes to crinkle.

"Do you think- oh, that had to hurt- do you think Vexen is watching this?" The woman asked, covering her mouth and nose when she made an unfeminine snort, "He has to be having a fit!"

Axel had forgotten about that part. A hint of a smirk tarnished the otherwise jubilant expression as he realized that not only was Vexen heading for the hills, but Lexaeus and Zexion couldn't be too far behind him. They were all putting everything they had into the Riku replica, but it could hardly hold its own against Sora. So that's where Roxas got all that spirit… hmph. Roxas could smash that Somebody in a heartbeat anyway. Who needs Sora?

"Hey, Axel," A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts; he blinked rapidly before focusing on Larxene's red face as she continued, "I'm going to get Naminé, okay? She should see what her powers have caused!"

Panic swelled up in the pyro's chest at her words. Unbidden memories of the past few days flashed before his eyes, especially of the day previous when he had touched the girl. Axel raised his hand to stop Larxene, but she was already gone by the time her statement came full circle in his mind. This was definitely not good…

What would happen if the Nymph noticed something? He would have to be careful that his eyes didn't linger on her too long or he didn't pay her just a little extra attention. He was confident that he could keep it under his hood, but Naminé was a different story. What if she reacted like yesterday and hugged him? That would call for a lot of questions that he certainly wasn't prepared to answer, and he doubted she was good at thinking on her feet. Maybe it would just be easier to escape now and claim that his…pants caught on fire. Yea, that'd work.

By the time he got around to setting a small flicker of a flame to his fingertips, which felt like hours and really was only two seconds, a swirling portal opened a few feet away. The fire extinguished, and Axel felt a bit more downhearted. So much for that.

However, he wasn't expecting the girl he was so paranoid about to come flying out of the portal to sprawl rather ungracefully on the floor. Her face twisted in pain when her knees impacted on the hard tile and her blonde hair twisted about her head. Axel made a step towards her as, for a brief moment, concern controlled his thoughts, but the moment ended as soon as Larxene stepped into the room with the sketchbook tucked under her arm. All signs of amusement had vanished from her face, only to be replaced with irritation and confusion. The pyro's eyes flitted down to the small body on the floor to find Naminé watching him with apprehension, but she looked away as soon as she found him observing her.

"Why-"

"You'll never guess what I found our little witch doing," Larxene snappishly interrupted. Axel narrowed his eyes at the Nymph, but decided to humor her. He crossed his arms.

"What would that be, Larxene?"

Naminé gave a little squeak from the floor, "Please, don't! I wasn't doing anything…"

"Sound pretty guilty for not having done anything," The woman scoffed, already flipping through the pages in the sketchbook. The girl groaned softly, but no attention was paid to her. Larxene settled on one page in particular, "Forget the fighting brats for now. Take a look at what Naminé drew!"

"No!" The girl cried, pushing herself to wobbly legs. Her eyes fixated on Axel when he simply ignored her and started towards Larxene, "It doesn't mean anything, I promise!" She continued to plead, but it was as though she had never made a noise. A red flush had taken over her cheeks, and her fists tugged restlessly at the hem of her dress. When the redhead peered down at her drawing, Naminé shut her eyes tightly and looked away.

Axel wasn't sure whether to laugh, yell, or be flattered; his face insisted on twitching into all three of those expressions before deciding to simply be blank. Drawn with surprising skill was a sketch of him and Naminé smiling and holding hands, surrounded by floating flowers and hearts. That little detail reminded him of Marluxia, but he was sure she meant well. Careful not to smudge the color, he took the sketchbook from Larxene.

Another whimper from on the floor.

The pyro grinned as he pointed at himself on the paper, "Hey, you gave me green eyes this time."

While the girl stared blankly at his face, Larxene made it obvious that she had been anticipating a reaction much more violent. Tearing the sketchbook out of his hands, the Nymph screeched at an ear piercing level, "That's all you've got to say?! You idiot! Don't you understand what this is? The witch has a _crush_ on you!"

Axel clucked his tongue, "Now, now, don't be jealous, Larxene."

"_What_?" A screech even louder caused Naminé to cover her ears, but the pyro simply blinked.

"What do you want me to say?" He questioned, placing a hand on his hip, "Bad, Naminé, how dare you draw a picture? I don't care if she likes me. Hell, she could be in love with a drunken walrus and I wouldn't care. What does a crush mean to a Nobody?"

"But… but…!"

"That's enough, Larxene. Forget about it."

It was obvious the woman had plenty more to say on the matter, but a stern glare from the pyro kept her silent. A dangerous hiss seeped between her teeth and she threw the sketchbook on the ground; Naminé flinched when a few pages crinkled. Larxene tore open a portal, "Fine! Who cares about her anyway?"

Once the Savage Nymph disappeared, Axel let out a sigh of relief; her voice was still ringing in his ears and bouncing off the inside of his skull. Whoever decided on 'savage' definitely hit the nail on the head, he thought with a small smile. The sound of footsteps behind him caught his attention; he turned around to see Naminé retreating to a single chair tucked away in a corner. The redhead frowned; this was going to be fun.

Striding toward her, he asked, "What's wrong, Naminé?"

Right, like that wasn't obvious. Axel studied for a brief moment the look of disappointment and embarrassment on her face. While it was unfortunate that Larxene was the one to tell him about her picture, he saw this more as an opportunity than an annoyance. Now he had an excuse to bring up the topic without making himself look like a complete fool, ensuring that he could end whatever he had managed to start. This would free up his mind so that he could put all of his focus into ending Marluxia's schemes while getting the girl out of this mess.

After a pause in which Naminé kept her eyes averted, Axel continued, "I know exactly how you're feeling right now," And wasn't that the truth? He himself had been considering the same possibilities that she had been, but maybe he was the only one who realized it couldn't work. The girl continued to stare at her hands, refusing to acknowledge his words. With a twinge of surprise, the pyro realized he actually felt _guilty_ for doing this; as close to guilt as he could get, that is. Frowning, he decided that maybe to make this go away, he should kill the idea completely, for her sake and for his.

"Don't get your hopes up."

That got her attention. Naminé's head snapped up and a glare found its way onto her face; the thought that it looked entirely out of place on her soft features briefly flitted through Axel's mind. He struggled to keep up the indifferent façade; he never had trouble bluffing his way through something. Why was this different? Maybe it was because he was lying to himself this time. Still, he pressed on.

"You should know," He said, looking away from her dejected appearance. His next words were a reminder to both her and himself, "Nobodies can't be Somebodies."

Wasn't that what had been drilled into all Nobodies at their birth? No emotions, no true existence. That was what they were forced to believe, but sometimes that fate seemed incorrect, misled. Who decided that Nobodies couldn't feel anything anyway? Axel could certainly feel, but of course that was just a reaction to memories. But who decided that was the explanation? Could anyone prove that these fake emotions were really imaginary? It was a cruel fate to be born in a world that revolved around the thoughts and feelings of others when he, a Nobody, couldn't experience any of it. Not truly Dark, not truly Light, but grey.

Just like everything else. _Nothing_ was completely evil, and _nothing _was completely good. The most malicious of people have a weakness, and every Princess of Heart experiences greed or jealousy at some point. Everything was in between. So would that make Nobodies as much a part of the world as anything else?

Would that make them Somebodies?

"You don't know that," Naminé's shy, hesitant voice mumbled, but Axel tried to block it out. His own thoughts were complete nonsense and it would be idiotic to allow any of her words to encourage him. They were Nobodies and that was all they would be until they faded into nothingness. Despite having been ignored, Naminé continued timidly, "Even if we can't be Somebodies, we can still have feelings. Who cares if the feelings are just echoes of our memory? I don't have my memories, but I can still be happy."

"You're different, Naminé," Axel replied curtly, "Whatever crap we've been spouting to you, you're different. You can feel because you have a heart."

The girl frowned, unconsciously digging little white crescents into her palms with her nails. She heard the shifting of clothing as the redhead started to move away. Hesitantly, she came to her feet, "You have a heart, too."

"We're done talking about this."

Anger gripped at Naminé's stomach as Axel opened a portal for himself. Her brows pinched together and her lips formed a thin line, "Maybe you're done talking, but I'm not!"

Those words were enough to stop the pyro in his tracks. He wanted to be angry that someone would think they had the authority to talk to him like that, but never had he expected it to be coming from her, the weak little girl that spent her time drawing memories that didn't belong to her. Axel was almost intrigued by what she had to say, but her lack of intimidation didn't give him much reason to listen. Raising one brow, he waited for her next comment. Seeing that she had his attention, Naminé suddenly felt much less confident. She shrunk in on herself, but refused to sit back down.

"I know you have a heart, otherwise you wouldn't be so nice to me. You took me out in the rain, you gave me books, you… you helped my bruises," The girl found herself blushing at this, while Axel looked away so as not to show her how much he had been thinking about that, "And you're here right now. You have to care if you're talking to me now."

"See, Naminé, this is where we lose each other," Axel interjected with a wave of his hand, "I'm not denying that Nobodies can feel. I've just accepted the fact that those feelings are fake and there's no use relying on them."

"But-"

"Nope, no buts," He silenced her, "That's the truth, no matter how hard you try to fight it. A Nobody will always be a Nobody."

Naminé hesitated, "But maybe they can learn to be a Somebody."

Axel quirked his head, "So you would lie to yourself so you could feel better about yourself? Sounds a lot like Demyx."

"Well, maybe Demyx is the only one who really understands anything," The girl retorted, crossing her arms as she plopped back down on her chair. The redhead sighed softly as he ran his fingers through his wild hair, yanking sharply at a knot that snagged. He really didn't want to be talking about this, especially since he could find some sense in her argument. That would spark uncertainty within himself, which would eventually lower him to her and the Nocturne's level. While certainly more optimistic, it would only make things harder.

"Look, Naminé," Axel started as he returned to his place beside her, "You're a good kid and all, okay? You're about the closest thing to a friend I have in this entire damn castle, but I'm the wrong person to have a crush on," When the girl flinched, the pyro hesitated for just a second before reminding himself that this was what was best for both of them. As much as he denied that he had an interest in her, he knew that just thinking about the possibilities was dangerous; Marluxia couldn't do anything to him, but Xemnas certainly could. With an attempt at indifference, he continued, "Sorry, but I can't give you what you want right now. After all, I don't have a heart to give, do I?" The grin that accompanied the attempt at a joke went unnoticed and unappreciated. It swiftly melted back into his face.

Naminé gave a short nod, "Fine."

Axel rolled his eyes as the annoying feeling of guilt tugged at his stomach. Without thinking, he reached out to put his hand on her head, only remembering what happened the last time he did that afterwards. So as not to seem suspicious, he let it stay there. He said with a small laugh, "Ask me again when you're a few years older, okay? Your fourteen and my nineteen to twenty two doesn't work too well."

A smile tugged at her lips before abruptly disappearing. Something seemed to have enlightened her, and Axel feared he had given her too much encouragement. Her renewed vigor was made obvious in her tone as she said, "But I thought you said that age didn't matter to Nobodies."

"Oh, well, um…" He trailed off awkwardly; his hand flitted away to rest on the back of his neck. It figured such a trivial thing would come back to haunt him, "That's not the only reason I'm telling you this. Now's just not a good time."

"So… later?"

"That's not what I said."

"What'd you say then?"

"That now's not a good time," Axel repeated slowly.

"So you mean if it was a good time, then you'd say yes?" She questioned, shifting to the edge of her seat. The pyro took a step back.

"That's not what I meant either."

Naminé frowned, shifting back into her chair, "So what do you mean then?"

This was getting ridiculous. He shouldn't have to explain anything to her, and yet here he was, arguing with her. This had to end, and he was going to do it right now, "I mean, I'm not in the mood to discuss this. It's never going to happen. So, unless you don't mind me torching your sketchbooks, I suggest shutting up and letting me leave."

That did the trick. Naminé was seated firmly, her lips shut tight, in a matter of seconds and Axel was free to escape. Although any signs of happiness melted from her expression and was replaced with the earlier embarrassment and disappointment, the pyro was relieved. Finally, he could escape before she figured out anything she shouldn't. He turned to leave.

"Bye, Axel," He heard her say softly as he stepped into a portal. Fleetingly, he glanced over his shoulder, before disappearing into the darkness without a goodbye in return.

That was not good. Not good at all. He had intended to break his ties with her, not strengthen them and give her hope. And worst of all, he felt even more the need to help her escape this place so that maybe when, or if, they ever met again, it would be a 'good time' for whatever he was trying to avoid.

**XXXXX**

**For those of you who don't understand why Axel commented on Naminé giving him green eyes, it's referencing something from "Find Your Wings". In case you don't remember. :) **

**Now that I look through it again, I found a couple things I really don't like. A goof that was thankfully discovered by my lovely beta sorta messed up the flow of the chapters, I think, and I wish I revealed Nami's crush a different way. I just think the picture is cheesy, I guess… yea. But maybe I'm just being negative. **

**Hope you guys liked it. Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. See you next Sunday, and thanks for reading!**

**Until Next Time,  
Manwathiel**


	7. Treason

**This is my last weekend before spring break. OH YES. I am so happy… I need a break. And I have to start registration soon for next semester soon, too. This semester is going so fast, thank goodness. But anyway. Thanks for all the wonderful feedback from last chapter! We've just moving right along on this… hope you guys like this chapter. Nothing too special, but eh. Enjoy anyway. :) **

**XXXXX**

Chapter 7- Treason

If it weren't for the importance of the situation at hand, Axel was sure that he would have been giggling like a child that had just successfully swiped money from his mother's purse. In fact, he was prepared to do just that as soon as he deposited his newfound treasure in a safe place. And what may this treasure be? Zexion's data, of course. Finally, after dodging Marluxia and Larxene while trying to pin point Sora's exact location, the pyro was able to obtain the information on the boy's home.

At the time, Axel had been almost certain that he was going to be caught. The three must have lost sense of time, for it had been in the middle of the afternoon the day after his less-than-pleasant discussion with Naminé that the so-called heroes huddled in a corner and drifted off to sleep. What made the pyro nervous, however, was that one of them stayed up to keep watch; of the few times that he had checked up on them since they arrived in the castle, that had never happened. But Zexion was waiting for that data and the redhead had no idea when he expected it, so he had decided to take a risk and go for it. If he was caught, not only would that lead to yet another battle, but would alert Marluxia to what he had been up to and… well, he would think about it if it came to that.

Fortunately, it was the talking dog that stayed awake, though Axel wasn't sure if there was much of a difference between that and being asleep. With a simple diversion of a decoy portal on the opposite side of the room, the pyro was able to search the boy's memories, pick and choose what he wanted, and then get out of there before the dog ever became suspicious of what was really occurring. The whole thing seemed entirely too simple, but he wasn't going to complain.

The card, decorated with a tiny image of a sandy island within a blue border, twirled between his fingers before he tucked it into the deep pocket of his coat. The pyro gave it a gentle, securing pat, and he mentally checked off one thing on his to-do list. Next, he just had to find time to visit the Schemer.

Axel shrugged his shoulders; he'd get to that later. He was expected elsewhere at the moment.

IOIOIOI

Vexen felt like driving his head deep into the wall until he could feel the breeze outside. The pain of that would be miniscule to what he was feeling now. _Anything_ would feel miniscule compared to watching his beloved replica be stomped into the ground. It was incomprehensible that the replica should fail after all the work he put into creating it. Even after having its mind wiped clean and replaced with fake memories, it still didn't have the power or will to bring Sora down. Even more embarrassing was that it was nowhere to be found. Afraid, it had run for its life and was now wandering somewhere in the castle like a lost child. How was he supposed to explain such failure? He could only imagine what the neophytes would have to say about it… not that he cared what they thought.

Needless to say, he was not disappointed. As soon as Vexen returned to the meeting room, Larxene and Axel were ready for him. The two turned from a discussion they were in the middle of to look at him. The Nymph grinned, earning herself a deep scowl from the elder member. Placing her fists on her hips, the woman sauntered forward. The giggle that made the Chilly Academic want to twitch bounced off the walls to resonate in his ears, "I don't understand, Vexen. I thought Riku was supposed to attack Sora, wasn't he?" She said, turning her palms upwards and shrugging, "Where'd he go? What's he doing?"

If only he could wring her skinny neck… that would make things so much quieter. Why did they keep her around anyway? She was only Number Twelve!

Axel decided to throw his two cents in with a snide remark to tack onto Larxene's, "Don't worry, he's hiding on purpose to lure Sora in further. Just trust me on that."

The two shared a bitter snicker that made Vexen want to Dusk them both.

"Oh, really?" Larxene gasped, "So that's it! I'm so sorry, Vexen, I had no idea!"

"Shut up!" Vexen shouted, balling his fists as he did so. It was so tempting to summon his power and encase her in a block of ice before she had a chance to move, but he valued his self control more than some others. However, it seemed this response was what the Nymph was hoping for. Haughtily, she crossed her arms and turned up her nose.

"The usual response. You know, people without hearts really are worthless."

The Chilly Academic chose to point out her hypocrisy by stating, "Don't forget: you don't have a heart, either, unless your shallow mind somehow managed to find a way to create one."

It was at this point that it was very tempting for Axel to simply stop listening. Arguments between Larxene and Vexen were commonplace, occurring at least five times a day, and all of them ended the same way: the Nymph smug and the Academic bitter. However, the pyro's desire was extinguished as soon as the flower boy decided to make his grand entrance, complete with floating pink petals. Axel rolled his eyes heavenwards and prepared himself for a long speech that involved plans to take over the Organization and how Vexen couldn't do anything right. Which was true, to be honest.

"Your plan has completely failed, Vexen," Marluxia said as though he was surprised by it. The pyro had to admit, the guy was a great actor when he had to be. If he didn't know better, he would have said the Assassin was actually disappointed, "I am beginning to wonder whether you are more a liability than an asset."

Insert Vexen's outburst of how no one gives him the respect he deserves, he's more important than everyone here with his fancy ranking, blah, blah, blah. Axel rolled his eyes; he had heard this so many times before. It was beginning to get boring.

While the sudden appearance of Marluxia's scythe in the old bat's face should have been what made the redhead jump, it was the mentioning of Naminé's name that brought Axel's attention to the surface. Briefly, his gaze flickered to the girl who sat at her chair in the corner with her eyes cast downwards, and then back to the situation at hand. To oppose him would be to go against the Organization, Marluxia was saying. What an interesting comment the Assassin chose to make, the pyro noted with a small smile. He decided to throw in his own remark.

"All opposition is eliminated. That's how it goes."

Axel always loved putting second meanings into his words. It gave false security to the other person, especially in this case. It was so tempting to inform Marluxia of his blunder and kill him right there, but that would ruin the satisfaction. Let him surge forward with his misplaced confidence, only to be tripped up by one of his own 'allies'. Then the pyro could sit back and say with all the arrogance in the world, 'I told you so'. For the time being, Axel placed all of his attention on the conversation just as Marluxia, with his scythe extended towards the Chilly Academic, said, "Vexen, you cannot defeat Sora. You are not capable."

Vexen sneered after a second's contemplation, "You know so little, Number Eleven. You only see what's on the outside. You can't comprehend my power."

Well, at least he knew he was an old geezer, Axel thought with a smirk. Marluxia's scythe disappeared with a shower of petals.

"Oh? Then prove it," The Assassin suggested, knowing Vexen's cowardice would prevent him from accepting the challenge.

Sure enough, the Chilly Academic choked, "What?" Larxene stifled a chuckle behind her hand, but it went unnoticed by the others.

"I don't want to doubt a fellow member's power," Marluxia continued, turning away from the elder member. Uneasiness flashed across Vexen's face; he knew he was only being tempted, to see if he would fail. However, after the failure of his replica, he felt obligated to show his worth. No matter how much he talked down to the younger members, he still thought it his duty to show them their place by being better. Number Eleven would learn not to belittle him so.

As a portal appeared around him, he spat, "You haven't got the heart," And he was gone.

There was a moment of silence in which the three remaining members waited for Vexen's hasty return and the excuse that would surely follow. When nothing seemed to be coming, Axel decided to break the silence as he strode towards Marluxia, "Taking off like that, I'd bet you a hundred munny he's going straight to take out Sora."

"Like he could," Larxene snorted. Marluxia ignored her, too occupied with his next source of entertainment: the girl huddled in the corner. His fixation on her did not go unnoticed. Oblivious to Larxene's eyes on him, Axel glanced anxiously between Naminé and the Assassin.

"I'm sure nobody looks forward to the outcome," Marluxia noted as he stopped before the girl. She failed to acknowledge him, though she was painfully aware of his proximity as he bent down to her level. The Nymph frowned when the redhead clenched his fists, narrowing his eyes at the exchange. The Assassin put his hand on the back of the chair, "Well, what now? At this rate, your hero won't be around much longer. Vexen will show him no mercy like we have. But didn't he make a promise to you? Didn't he, Naminé?"

The girl was trembling, her fingers pressed so firmly against the seat of her chair that they were as white as her dress. She didn't want to remember the false memories she was forced to implant in his mind, that he promised her something only true friends can promise each other. That he promised Kairi, not her, and that was that he would protect her forever. Just like what she forced the Riku replica to believe.

Through tight lips, Naminé uttered, "Yes."

Satisfied, Marluxia stood and returned to the other two.

"I suppose now we just wait for him to return," He said with a shrug, "I was hoping for more of a struggle, to be honest. He is quick to give in to pressure."

"What more can you expect from Vexen?" Larxene replied, "I just hope he doesn't do something stupid out of desperation when he gets his ass kicked. Hey, Axel!"

The aforementioned pyro snapped to attention, forcing his wide eyes on the smirking Nymph. Embarrassed that he had been caught distracted, he scowled and muttered, "What?"

"How much you want to bet he comes back crying?"

The scowl disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, "I've already bet one hundred to Marluxia. Why not a hundred again?"

"You're on."

"Larxene," Marluxia interjected, "When you are done betting your munny away, would you mind coming with me for a moment? I'd like to discuss something with you."

Insulted, the woman huffed and shifted her weight to one leg, "What's that supposed to mean? You think I'm gonna lose?"

"Of course not. I simply would like to have a word with you," He answered, his tone casual, "About what we talked about the other day."

Larxene's mouth opened to claim she had no idea what he was talking about, but a quick, meaningful glance from the Assassin was enough to get her to remember. Blinking slowly, she snapped her mouth shut and nodded, "Oh. Sure."

Axel snickered and muttered suggestively, "Hmm, I wonder what this is about?" Larxene bristled, her cheeks flushing red from anger, but Marluxia had a different response for him.

"We are plotting your destruction, Axel. I assumed that would be obvious."

The grin on the pyro's face faltered. The Assassin's smile was teasing, but the tone of his voice was too serious. A shock of unease shot its way down into his stomach, gripping and twisting, and intensified with Larxene's girlish laugh. Axel eyed both of them carefully as they formed two portals beside each other and disappeared. He watched the area, waiting for their return, but it seemed he was alone for the time being. So, besides being paranoid, what was he supposed to do now? Glancing over the orb, he found it inactive except for a few sporadic flashes of color. Well, this was fun.

He knew what he wanted to do, and that was talk to Naminé who sat so quietly in the corner. But the question was, would she want to talk to him? Since she had been brought to this room- had she ever left since the day before? - she hadn't spoken a single word or spared anyone a single glance. Maybe he was giving himself too much credit, but he worried it was because of what he said to her. Really, if they kept it a secret, was it so wrong? As long as no one found out, they could do whatever they wanted. She did have a point, bringing up how age shouldn't matter for Nobodies. Maybe she was right… maybe a Nobody could learn to be a Somebody.

Peridot eyes flickered to the girl in the corner. What could happen?

"Hey, Naminé?" His voice was too soft. Since when did he sound like that? The girl flinched, but didn't look at him. Axel shifted anxiously before taking careful steps towards her, "You okay, Naminé?" He knelt before her, crouching down to balance on the balls of his feet. Still, her eyes failed to meet his. The pyro pursed his lips, "Alright then, don't talk. I don't want to hear what you have to say anyway," Standing, he summoned a portal a few feet away and started towards it.

"Wait, Axel."

With his back still turned, he grinned, then quickly wiped it away to glance casually over his shoulder. He adopted a lazy pose as he faced her, shifting his weight to one side and crossing his arms, "Yea?" He muttered with pseudo-boredom. She still wasn't looking at him, but at least now she was talking.

"Am I really one of the bad guys?" She asked meekly in a voice laced with unshed tears. Axel frowned; this wasn't what he was anticipating on hearing. He returned to his original position in front of her.

"What makes you ask that?"

"Because I feel terrible," She answered, "I… I don't want to hurt Sora."

Axel hummed, "Technically, you aren't hurting him at all. More like indirect hurting," Was that supposed to make her feel better? He was never good at the whole comfort thing anyway. Apparently, it wasn't the best thing to say; Naminé inhaled sharply and held it in. The pyro could see the muscles in her face struggling to hold back the tears. Oops. With only a second's hesitation, he reached up to wrap his fingers loosely around her arm, "Hey, don't start crying on me now, okay? I'm not exactly a 'lean your head on my shoulder' type of person. I'm more of a 'let me make you feel worse and then try to make you feel better by making stupid jokes' kind of person."

A faint smile from her, and Axel grinned, "There you go. That's how Naminé's supposed to look. If you don't keep that smile, I'm going to get a couple staples and force you to. That wouldn't be too pretty, would it?" _Hell, nothing could make her not pretty_, he thought to himself. Still, he earned himself another weak smile; he fought the sudden urge to brush her cheek again, "So, you going to tell me what the matter is?"

Shyly, Naminé tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, "I didn't like having to change Riku's memories."

"That wasn't the real Riku, you know."

"That's not the point," She said briskly, "He's still alive. He still has his own thoughts and feelings. Then I had to make him believe he was someone he wasn't so he could fight with Sora. It's not fair to either of them, because now Sora thinks his best friend hates him. And you let it happen."

Axel wondered if maybe she was expecting him to apologize, judging by the accusative glare she was giving him. With a roll of his eyes, he let himself fall onto his bum, then crossed his arms, "Well, what am I supposed to do about it? Do you think it would go over well if I suddenly developed a soft spot for replicas that can't do their job?"

"No, but-"

"That would be like you asking to join the Organization so you could kill off Sora," He tapped the side of his head, "Gotta think, Naminé."

"So you mean you didn't really want to?"

"Uh, well…" Axel trailed off, grabbing his toes for balance as he rocked backwards, "It's not like it was some sort of secret desire. I just- hey, why am I even bothering to explain this to you? It doesn't matter," He dismissed it with a shrug. Naminé's fingers tightened on the hem of her dress.

"It matters to me!" She huffed, "It confuses me."

The pyro shot her a questioning glance, "What's confusing?"

Naminé shifted awkwardly in her seat, "You are. You're like two different people sometimes and I don't know which one is the real one."

The girl jumped when Axel's hand was suddenly on the top of her head, forcing her to lean over so she would be closer. When her cerulean eyes briefly met with Axel's own serpentine, peridot orbs, the girl felt a hot blush creep up on her cheeks, but the lopsided smirk from him told her that his thoughts were going in a completely different direction than her own. Even so, she found that her mouth and throat had gone dry and it hurt just to swallow. With such proximity, his unique scent of ash and cinnamon rolled off him and tickled her nose. She wanted to pull away, but found that something other than his hand was keeping her from doing so. Naminé shivered when his breath brushed her skin as he whispered, "That _is_ the real Axel. Axel is everything in one. Axel can be whoever he wants to be," He paused for a moment, his eyes drifting over her face, only to reclaim hers soon after, "And Axel can-"

"I hope we're not interrupting anything."

Axel snapped to attention, rising to his feet effortlessly and leaving Naminé with an expression of apprehension and expectancy. The pyro fixated his glare on the Graceful Assassin standing smugly in the center of the room with his arms crossed and brow quirked. Larxene stood just behind him, peering around his shoulder and grinning like a child who had just tattled on another. Attempting to appear nonchalant, the pyro brushed away an imaginary speck of dust from his coat.

"Not really," He answered, "The witch was just being a little too vocal, is all."

"Funny," Larxene snickered, "I would almost say that-"

Axel cut her off with a stern stare, "Like I said, she was too vocal. I was putting her back in her place."

The Nymph was not afraid to let show her doubt on her face, but Marluxia simply nodded, "Don't worry, Axel. We were only joking."

"Who said I was worried?"

"Your 'oh-shit-they-caught-me' reaction when we came back," Larxene supplied sarcastically. She moved to step around the Assassin, but he outstretched his arm; stopping her. Questioningly, she looked up at him and he shook his head.

"Drop it, Larxene."

"Yea, Larxene, drop it," Axel jibed, perching the back of his hands on his hips with a snarky grin. He snickered when she growled under her breath, biting her bottom lip to keep an undoubtedly malicious comment from escaping. Marluxia rolled his eyes at the exchange, choosing to ignore them as he stood before the hazy orb in the center of the room.

"Any developments while we were gone?" He asked, directing the question at Axel. The pyro hesitated, having been distracted enough to not even realize if something had come up in the orb. Finding amusement in his uncertainty, Larxene cast him a haughty smile, to which he returned with a scowl.

Shrugging, he said, "Nope, nothing."

"You mean Vexen didn't go to Sora?" Marluxia asked over his shoulder, "You might just owe me one hundred munny."

"I doubt that," Axel snapped back.

Just then, the haze in the orb began to shift, illuminating softly, before a faint image of two battling figures appeared in the center. Marluxia took a step forward in interest, and the other two quickly placed their attention on the small figure of Vexen jumping about, always trailed by the even smaller figure of Sora. Spikes of ice rose up from the floor like stalagmites, threatening to impale the young Keyblade wielder, but either he was too fast or Vexen was too slow. After a few moments of viewing with little progress made, Larxene became impatient and shifted her weight to the side, sighing in exasperation. Marluxia placed a hand on the surface of the orb.

"Should I be surprised that this battle appears to be a stalemate?" He asked no one in particular.

Axel nodded, "Yea, you should. I'm surprised that he hasn't speared his ass on his own ice yet."

"For once, I agree with you," Larxene said, "I mean, the fool is so old he'd probably-"

Marluxia suddenly thrust his hand out towards them, quickly throwing the room in silence. In disbelief, he whispered, "He couldn't have…"

Both the woman and redhead exchanged glances before coming to the Assassin's side. In the orb, the battle had ceased and Vexen's voice was faint even in the quiet room. Between his fingers he held a card, shaped identical to all the others but with a picture wholly unfamiliar. With a flick that seemed too fast for someone like him, the card was in Sora's hands and the Chilly Academic had disappeared in a swirling, black mass. The light of the orb flickered and the image disappeared in the haze.

Gradually, time started again and the three realized what they had just witnessed. For once, Larxene was stunned into silence. Her lips were parted, eyes wide, but she could make no sound. Axel felt unease stir in his stomach, worried what would happen if Sora were to go to that hidden memory, discover its true meaning. What would happen to Roxas…?

"If something happens to Sora in that place, the Organization's plans may be at risk," He said, rejecting that train of thought. When no response followed his statement, he turned to the Assassin, "Marluxia."

"Do you know what we should do?" The scythe wielder's tone told the pyro that he already had an idea of exactly what was going to happen. Axel decided to humor him.

"No idea," He shrugged as he turned away. His eyes found Naminé, watching them with wide eyes from her corner, but he tried to ignore her, "I'd like you to tell us."

"What Vexen did is direct treason against the Organization," He said, "Rid us of our traitor."

Naminé visibly sucked in a deep breath and her gaze fixated on the redhead, waiting for his response. Axel found himself looking away from her as he said both to Marluxia and the girl, "Can't argue with that."

He shut his eyes against the devastated stare of the girl and disappeared into his portal. Why couldn't he look at her? Why should he feel ashamed that she was unhappy with his decision? No matter the victim or who it was that commanded it, Axel would never allow a traitor to the Organization stay alive, but now he almost felt like he was doing the wrong thing. It was all probably because of what she said to him, about being upset that he so easily gave in to Marluxia's demands; that he allowed the replica to have his memories forcibly rearranged. But this he had to do. Not only did he have to protect the Organization and his only friend within it, but he had to further reassure the Graceful Assassin that he was on his side. A lie straight from his ass, but necessary all the same. After their discussion the other day about his willingness to serve their cause, he couldn't go back on it now.

What worried him, though, was that he was finding it harder and harder to remember that this was his main goal. Marluxia had to be stopped and only with that would Naminé be free. She wasn't his fixation… she couldn't be, not if he wanted to come out alive. It was unfortunate that he found out about her attraction to him already. It was distracting him, even when she wasn't around. He had to keep himself focused until it was safe to let his guard drop. Then he could truly examine what had been sending his mind into turmoil and maybe decide on something in favor of both of their desires.

Axel emerged from his portal and dry grass crunched under his boots. Hopefully, that ball of flames hurtling towards Vexen wouldn't catch anything more than him on fire. A shame, he was actually starting to like the old bat.

**XXXXX**

**Hum. It's an okay chapter, I guess. Nothing too exciting, right? This was a lot longer, but then I chopped it up and gave birth to two more chapters. Like the Hydra. You know, chop one head off, get two more… Hercules… yea, no? Okay. **

**GET UP ON THE HYDRA'S BACK, BITCHES!**

**I need to play KH2 again… yea. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this one. This is going so fast. Okay, reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next Sunday!**

**Until Next Time,**

**Manwathiel**


	8. Secret

**So… I watched the Hunchback of Notre Dame today for the first time since it came out. I used to hate it, but now I have no idea why… it was so cute. I liked Clopin. Made me laugh. X3 Anyway, that has **_**almost**_** nothing to do with this story. So without further ado, I give you chapter eight. Enjoy!**

**XXXXX**

Chapter 8- Secret

Naminé couldn't bear to watch the scene in the orb. Marluxia and Larxene were intent on it, examining every action and every word of the bright spot of red that was Axel. When Vexen fell to the ground, the sadistic woman shrieked an electrifying laugh that made the young girl shudder, but what was more terrifying was the satisfied smile curving the Assassin's thin lips. It was so unbearable, so disgusting, for Naminé; she couldn't understand how they could do this to a member of their Organization. It was like a society based around self-preservation, she realized; one individual threatened them, and so he was eliminated in fear that he would then threaten another. And to think, Vexen was actually trying to help Sora. He tried to tell him about Marluxia's plans, but the boy refused to listen. His memories were so distorted by her powers that no sense could penetrate his heart. This was her fault… Vexen was going to die because of her… it was not Axel, but her, that had sealed his fate.

The girl flinched away from the thought, instead fixating on the sketchbook in her lap. On the page was her most recent picture of Sora, and before that she knew was the picture of her and Axel. She wished that the fiery redhead was there to talk to her, even if it was his biting sarcasm, because that would mean that he was not doing the deed that she herself had caused.

Sora may have been the one that she hoped would rescue her, the 'hero' that she longed for, but she saw in Axel a different sort of hero. A hero bound to a power that he could not deny, no matter how much he said that no one controlled him, and that was what made him a 'bad guy'. He didn't want to be like that. Axel was a good person trapped in a bad situation. Just like her.

Right?

The sound of an opening portal drew Naminé from her thoughts and it was with mixed emotions that she saw Axel had returned. That could only mean one thing, and that was that Vexen was…

A sharp inhale kept her emotions, however fake they were, in check. She couldn't cry, not now. She never really even liked Vexen, but knowing that she would never see his chilly features again was hard to grasp. Twitching her head just slightly so she could see what was going on, Naminé briefly gazed at the pyro's back before taking in the entire situation. Larxene had sidled to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder and speaking with such sugary sweetness that Naminé felt the urge to be sick. How could anyone put up with her?

"-meet Naminé, so we'll let them meet!" Her name thrown into the conversation made her perk up slightly, but she was careful not to let them know she had been listening. Naminé tensed when the Nymph started towards her as Marluxia said:

"You should be happy, Naminé. It's almost time for you to meet the hero you've been waiting for."

What was she supposed to say? She settled on a weak, "I'm… glad."

Larxene bent at the waist so that she was eye level with the girl. Intimidated, Naminé wanted to look away, but the stronger part of herself struggled to keep eye contact. As if she needed the reminder, the Nymph said, "Remember, don't do anything to hurt Sora's feelings when he gets here! That wouldn't be very nice, would it?"

The girl twisted away from the woman's touch on her chin, "I know."

As though it were a final instruction, Marluxia said just as he summoned a portal, "Make the memories overlap and strengthen these new feelings."

When the whirring of the portals disappeared and the girl thought she was alone, Naminé let out the breath she had been holding in. Sad eyes fell on the drawing of a smiling Sora; her fingers tightened around the plastic binding. In a shuddering breath, she uttered, "Sora… even if I can meet you, what should I…?" The words fell from her lips, unable to complete them. There was no way to finish what she wanted to say. No matter what she did, he would never forgive her.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of thoughtful, peridot eyes was watching her. Axel had been startled by her words, too caught up in his own ponderings about what Marluxia and Larxene had told him. That they would test him was surprising, and that they did it in such a way was even more so; he should have expected it after the discussion he had had with Marluxia. Though he knew of their intentions already, to hear the words slip so easily past their lips, once again, was oddly satisfying. They openly admitted their plans to overthrow the Organization, placing themselves on the same level as Vexen. Such hypocrites. But now something new had presented itself; something that he had been waiting for the perfect moment to do.

While now possible, the problem was that it was almost too damn hard to do it. Though she was treated horribly, Naminé was safe right now. Setting her loose could result in something he didn't even want to imagine. But he had made up his mind long ago; no matter what happened, this was what was best.

Uncertain at first, then forcing himself to go through with it, Axel approached the girl, "All he cares about now is you, you know. Sora, I mean," He clarified when Naminé quirked her head a little, "So you're the only one who can save him."

The girl started, her brow furrowing, "But it's too late. He's already trapped by my fake memories."

Axel's finger was suddenly in her face, wagging like it was scolding her. Her gaze trailed up his arm to his eyes as he said, "Don't jump to conclusions just yet," Letting his hand drop back to his side, the pyro left her to stand by the faintly glowing orb. Lightly, he placed his palm on the cool surface. Alright, this was it… he had nothing to worry about. She could take care of herself. Hopefully, "Hey, Naminé," He said over his shoulder, "Notice Marluxia's not here anymore?"

Naminé frowned. Her tone was that of confusion, "I don't see what you…"

The pyro shut his eyes, "There's no one here to stop you."

He didn't want to say anymore. Naminé was smart. Couldn't she figure out what he was trying to tell her? When he heard her light footsteps suddenly racing towards the door, he knew she understood; one weight was lifted off of his shoulders, allowing him a breath of air that he had been holding for days, only to be replaced seconds later by a new one. Now that things were finally in motion, Castle Oblivion was becoming dangerous; too dangerous for someone like her. Too caught up in his thoughts, he didn't even notice her slight hesitation at the door, her wide eyes staring back at him, before she slipped through the door and was gone.

The soft, closing click nearly drowned out Axel's utterance of, "Don't let me down."

IOIOIOI

Naminé ran as fast as her feet could carry her. There was a loud pulsing in her ears as her breath became labored, almost to the point where she couldn't hear her rampant thoughts. She knew that Axel was good. She knew that he would try to help her, just like he said he would. All birds find their wings, he said, and now his words were coming true. Whether or not the first flight from the nest would end well, she knew that she now had a power that could not be used for destruction. She would save Sora from what she caused. After that, after she made Axel proud, she would go back to him. Back to the true hero.

_Her_ hero.

But how was she supposed to help Sora? She had no strength to protect him from the dangers that lurked in the halls of Castle Oblivion. All she had ever done was replace and destroy; never create and mend. The only way she could imagine correcting what she had caused was by erasing his memory completely, but there was no time for that and still nothing would be gained from it. It could take weeks, _months_ for that…

A gasp escaped her lips as the girl tripped over her own feet and slid to the ground. Wincing, she drew her knees to her chest and a hiss of pain seeped past her teeth as she tried to block out the pain. What else could she do but lay on the floor when she had no idea how she was supposed to save Sora? Axel hadn't even supplied her the means to do anything except run in circles and worry about the fate of a boy that she would never truly know. For a moment, Naminé wondered if this was all a part of the scheme that he had quietly developed and she was never more than a pawn to him; an object to tease and exploit because she was too naïve to realize it. A languid feline, toying and torturing his food until he grew bored with only playing.

Naminé clenched her fists and forced herself to sit up. Even if he wasn't who she had believed, Axel had given her freedom. Maybe he would reclaim her when this was all over, but now she had something to do. A purpose. The pyro was never one to underestimate, so there must have been some reason for him to give her the job to save Sora. Why he wanted that in the first place was unknown, but he was counting on her to do it.

She couldn't disappoint him.

IOIOIOI

It must have taken at least an hour for the giddiness to start creeping into Axel's chest, replacing the initial unease of letting Naminé go. This was the moment that he had been waiting for. Finally, he could put Marluxia and Larxene back in their place by forcibly ending the pathetic excuses that were their lives. Maybe, where ever Nobodies went after being 'killed', they would find Vexen and he would impale his fellow traitors with a spear of ice. As he strolled down the hall with a wide grin on his face, the pyro basked in the empty silence, knowing that somewhere in the castle mass chaos was about to break out. Eventually, he would have to join it, but for now he was content to enjoy the temporary peace.

It would be lovely to be able to take out Marluxia himself, Axel mused. He and the scythe wielder had never been on good terms, so it had been strange to the pyro when the Superior ordered him to join the lower members at Castle Oblivion. Was this some sort of punishment for constantly disobeying orders, complaining about everything that didn't go exactly his way, and harassing each and every member on a daily basis? That was what he had originally thought, and he made this known by increasing his antics tenfold upon arriving at the castle. Now, he wondered if maybe he was stationed here to watch over Number Eleven. Perhaps Xemnas had noticed something that no one else did, and so decided to place Marluxia in a position of power to reveal his true deceptive nature. If that was the case, Axel would have to thank the Superior upon returning to the Castle that Never Was by demanding a better room and a raise on his nonexistent paycheck.

Then again, three senior members- well, two now - were stationed here, too. Whatever happened to Zexion and Lexaeus? He hadn't seen Lexaeus since the incident in the library and he still needed to deliver the data to Zexion. Maybe he should try to find them and see what they made of all this.

He would have to find Naminé, too…

What would happen to her? Axel realized with a start that he hadn't planned any further beyond killing Marluxia. If he took her back to Xemnas, surely they would come up with another plan to use her power, and that would just completely kill the effort he had put into freeing her. Eventually, he would have to go back, but he couldn't leave her here alone. Eventually, someone would find her. Someone would notice his double rations, his constant visits to a 'supposedly' empty Castle Oblivion. He couldn't stay here and she couldn't go there either.

"Hell," He spoke aloud, "What am I thinking? It shouldn't matter what happens to her."

With a bit less cheer, Axel leaned against the white walls and ran a gloved hand down his face. This is what he deserved for not listening to his own resolution, "Ah… damn it, Naminé."

Suddenly, a shift in power swept over his body. Thoughts of the young girl were washed away from his mind in seconds, instead seeking out the cause such a change. It was easy for him to determine that there certainly wasn't any power _added_ to the castle, but rather taken away. His immediate fear was that Naminé had been killed somehow; however, upon closer examination, the redhead realized that the loss in power was too great for it to be the girl. Though this relieved him, he continued to measure what was still present. It definitely wasn't Marluxia. His presence still rang as clear as a bell.

A few seconds of concentration and a small smirk slowly curved his lips.

Larxene.

"So, you didn't have it in you after all. I'm disappointed," He thought aloud with a chuckle, "And here I was hoping to take you out myself."

Now things were getting too interesting for him to simply sit back and watch. Though he was looking forward to finishing her off, it meant there was one less thing for him to look out for. Surely, Marluxia was hiding somewhere in the upper floors of the castle, allowing his puppets to do his dirty work. That meant he could come and go as he pleased without worry. Maybe now would be a good time to find Zexion and-

An even greater shift in power nearly caused Axel to fall over, as though he had been putting his weight on a surface that suddenly gave way. A shudder rippled down his body, causing him to wrap his arms around his waist and he curled in on himself. For a moment, his vision swam and something pulsed in his head, before abruptly clearing and leaving him with a sense of having been expanded somehow. His power seemed to stretch out to greater boundaries, like an invisible leash had been lengthened. Blinking rapidly, he sifted through the conflicting thoughts in his mind to determine what had caused the change this time.

Somewhere, deep within the lower regions of the castle, a great, silent force had been eliminated.

"Lexaeus, too?" Axel gasped, "The brute couldn't even kill himself, he's so strong! How the hell…?"

Now he was just slightly concerned. If something that could take out Lexaeus was running around in the castle, then he was modest enough to say that it could probably snap him like the twig that he was. And if it found Naminé, it would surely show her no mercy. But what else in the castle could contain so much force? Certainly not Riku or the missing replica, but they were the only other people here. Did the boy really have that much strength? No matter what, the pyro would have to make sure the girl was safe from this power. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, he realized. That was what he had gotten her into.

A portal was ripped open without any thought as to where he was going. So many places she could be, and her power was so weak that it was hard to distinguish from that of a person to that of a rock. However, resonating in the vast Nothingness was another force that demanded attention. For the moment, Axel focused on it, recognizing it as Marluxia. He weighed his options. He could end this now and dispose of the betrayer, or he could find her and potentially worsen this entire ordeal.

His duty to the Organization won him over. Naminé was weak, yes, but not defenseless. She could handle herself. Axel sliced open a portal where the greatest source of the Assassin's power poured forth.

The pyro appeared just as Marluxia was walking away from him. The Assassin stopped, aware of the other's presence, but did not face him. He did not allow Axel the chance to speak, immediately leaping into his accusations, "I would think you would not be foolish enough to show your face here, traitor, but it seems I am wrong."

Axel grinned. Already, the hypocrisy! Marluxia couldn't even accept what he truly was. The pyro said, "'Traitor'? I don't think I know what you mean."

"You let Naminé go," The Assassin said, turning around to fix his glare on the redhead. His blood boiled to see him standing there, so smug in his false ignorance. It took all he had not to kill him right now for so easily tricking him into believing he was on their side. And to think that he, the Graceful Assassin, even pondered over the possibility that Axel was not as he seemed, but was so willing to dismiss it just because the pyro offered him a few careful words and eliminated Vexen without question. It should have been a warning, not a confirmation of his loyalty. Reigning in his anger, he hissed between his teeth, "You and your meddling, Axel… look at what you have done. The Keyblade Master could have been our slave."

"Oh, I see," Axel said like he had no idea. He even had the nerve to appear apologetic, "Right, the big plan. You use Naminé to screw with Sora's memories, he becomes her puppet," Then his eyes turned dangerous and calculating, fixing on Marluxia's stern glare, "Then, using Naminé and Sora, you and our Savage Nymph overthrow the Organization. Am I right? 'Cause, you know, Marluxia," He chuckled, "That would make _you_ the traitor, not me."

"But you eliminated a fellow member," Marluxia reminded him.

Axel grinned, "I needed you guys to trust me, right? No better way to do it."

A fact that the Assassin already figured out for himself. The redhead really did think too much, plotting out his moves under the radar of all others. If he wasn't so bent on destroying him, Marluxia would have been impressed. Shaking his head with a small smirk, he said, "A double agent then. Poor Vexen was just a cover up, a pawn in your little game."

"Yep. Just like in that game you torture Naminé with. What was it? Chinese Checkers?"

"Pawns are used in chess, not Chinese Checkers."

"Whatever. Either way, the pieces are in place, the Queen has been taken, and now the King has nowhere to go. You know what that means, Marluxia?" Axel grinned, "Checkmate."

The newly strengthened power unleashed itself in a burst of hot air, escaping from his body like an explosion that had been contained for ages, and the Assassin was blurred by waves of heat. The familiar tingling crept down his arms and into his fingertips, and a ring of flames beckoned his beloved chakrams into existence. Like an extension of himself, the deadly wheels spun like blades at his hands until he expertly snatched them from the air. The friction crept through his gloves, warming his skin and sending a spark of excitement up his arms to his chest.

Marluxia smiled dangerously. So this was how it was destined to be. Maybe he wouldn't have to hold back his urge for revenge much longer.

"Remember what you said?" Axel questioned, restlessly spinning his chakrams in his hands, "'Rid us of our traitor', I think it was, and I always follow orders. Larxene paid the price for disloyalty, and now it's your turn!"

The Assassin was ready for the attack, easily evading Axel's flying dash for him with a graceful jump backwards. When the chakrams were suddenly whirring towards him at blinding speed, he summoned his scythe and stopped the weapons in their tracks; the force at which they met his weapon was nearly enough to cause him to slip back. As though on an invisible string, both soon swung back into the awaiting hands of their master. Upon reclaiming them, Axel felt a low vibration travel up to his elbows, then promptly thrust the chakram outwards into a ready position. He was pleased to see Marluxia still bracing himself upon the staff of his scythe. The fire that he mastered seemed to come to life in his voice as he spat, "In the name of the Organization that you betrayed, I will end your miserable existence."

"Go ahead and try," Marluxia taunted, scythe extended.

"It would be my pleasure."

A lethal dance began as both Nobodies fought to gain the upper hand. Though Axel possessed his fiery spirit, he was no match when it came to speed. By the time he was able to reach Marluxia's location, the Assassin had already shifted away behind him. He lashed out with his scythe, slicing where the pyro's legs would have been if he had not leapt out of the way. Axel was hardly given enough time to recover from his landing before a wave of darkness, laced with deadly sharp petals, was thrust at him. His chakrams served as his shield, but even that was not enough to completely protect him. The petals sliced thin lines on his face like razors, and just the force of the attack was enough to nearly send him to his back; metal screeched and groaned in protest against the weight. When the force had passed him, Axel found himself breathing heavily, having already exerted a good deal of his energy evading the attack. Wincing, he forced himself to focus on the other Nobody who had halted his advance. Since when had he been so strong?

It seemed he had something else up his sleeve. Momentarily relinquishing his defense, Axel watched as Marluxia summoned a swirling mass of petals beneath his hand; his eyes had shut in concentration. Slowly, a hazy form manifested itself before the Nobody, illuminating softly at first before filling in with shape and color. When the form had solidified, Axel found that his forgotten fear had come true.

With Marluxia's hand placed gently on her head, Naminé stared with terrified eyes at the enraged pyro. Axel struggled to keep his fake emotions in check, to keep them from showing on his face and allowing the Graceful Assassin to confirm his suspicions. He tried nonchalance, even confusion, but underlying the façade was a fierce desire to protect. And to protect her, he would have to threaten her.

"What are you trying to do?" He demanded, "Hiding behind her won't stop me."

The girl flinched, shutting her eyes tightly as she waited for the attack. She tried to remind herself that he was good, that he was the one that let her go, but seeing such a strong light radiating from him frightened her. Nothing really would stop him from getting to Marluxia. However, the Assassin didn't seem too certain of that. His deep chuckle brought about a shudder from Naminé.

"Are you sure?" He taunted, "You are not as clever as you think."

Oh, damn.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Axel growled. Again, he wished so desperately to hurl his chakram at the traitor, but the possibility of hitting Naminé was something he wasn't willing to take the chance on. He _knew_ that he had been too obvious. Larxene must have noticed somewhere along the line and told Marluxia. Now it was coming back to bite him in the butt in a big way. He couldn't admit it, but he couldn't deny it either… he couldn't hurt Naminé. When he found the girl's wide eyes on him, he turned his head away.

Fortunately, a distraction appeared then, and this train of conversation could not continue. Marluxia's attention shifted over the pyro's shoulder to address the newest guest, "Did you hear that, Sora?" Axel checked over his shoulder, surprised that he had not noticed the arrival of the boy and his friends. The doors creaked as they shut behind them, enclosing them all in the room, "Axel is willing to harm Naminé, just to get to me. You should make good of your promise to her and protect her."

It wasn't surprising when the boy so readily followed Marluxia's instruction. The same man who tried to use him, to turn him into his puppet, and yet Sora had no problem doing as he said. Axel shook his head, "Well… I see you're the newest addition to Marluxia's puppet collection."

"After I finish with you, he's next!" The boy shouted with such confidence that the pyro wanted to laugh. The kid may have been able to take out Larxene, but he wouldn't go down so easily. Though in reality, Axel did not want to fight Sora. If he could, he wanted to avoid it; doing so would be like attacking his best friend.

"Listen, Sora," He said, turning his back to Marluxia and Naminé, "You really don't want to do that. You and I? We have a hell of a lot more in common than you think. I don't recommend forcing me to get serious, but if you really insist," In a flash, the chakram burst into rings of flame spinning at his fingertips. A grin fixed itself on his lips and the flurry of dancing flames that he was named for engulfed his body, "I do have a reputation to think of!"

As the battle commenced, Naminé could only watch on in horror. Both were mere blurs of color and movement, crisscrossing and leaping across the room. Weak spurts of water, ice, and electricity struggled to beat past the near impenetrable wall of flames that so perfectly protected the pyro. It was almost an unfair match, putting a young boy against an experienced fighter, but the girl soon realized that Sora wasn't exactly defenseless. At times, he _did_ force Axel to defend himself. She was unsure of who to hope for. Sora was the only innocent in all of this, the one who could offer her a life free of fear. But Axel was the one who had been her only companion since she was found by the Organization. She had grown closer to him in the past few weeks than she ever thought she would.

But the overbearing presence behind her never left her mind. Marluxia, with his hand holding her back, forced her to watch the two fight to the death; she knew that there would be only one victor, but had no idea who she would want to see come out alive. Would it be wrong to choose? Did she even have the right to deal such a heavy judgment?

"Naminé," Marluxia's voice managed to break through the clashing of metal, "Let's leave them."

"But-"

"No buts," He said, turning her away from the battle, "Unless you want to see your beloved Axel die."

The girl's eyes widened, a blush creeping up on her cheeks, "He won't die! And he's not my 'beloved'!"

"Not anymore, he isn't," The Assassin smirked. At his extended fingertips a dark portal opened, "Say goodbye, Naminé."

Panic tugged at the girl's stomach as she stared into the swirling mass, knowing that once she entered it, she would never see one of the fighters again. Marluxia's hand on her suddenly seemed weightless, like all of his power had been transferred to her, and her body coursed with newfound strength. Somehow, she managed to tear away from the Assassin and she made a dash for the two. It would be only seconds before she was captured again, but she had to try to get them to stop.

"Sora!" She cried, "Axel! Please!"

And that was all she had time for before the strength was sapped away. The hand was placed over her mouth, muffling her words, and darkness swallowed her.

When she was finally given her vision again, she knew that they were well away from Axel and Sora. Marluxia had no qualm in letting her push him away, but there was nowhere for her to go. She had absolutely no idea where he had taken her and everything was too similar to pick out a difference that may give her an idea of where she was. With fists clenched at her sides, Naminé whirled around to glare at the smirking Assassin. His scythe had long since disappeared, but even so, there wasn't a chance of her defending herself against him. Like always, he had her tucked neatly in his palm.

"What's the matter, little witch?" He teased, "You seem upset."

Naminé had never felt so much anger before, so much hatred for this man. It felt like the emotion was trying to burst out from the pores in her skin, regardless of the fact that she wasn't even supposed to be feeling it. At that moment, the girl _knew_ that she was feeling and it was _her _anger, _her_ frustration. And that was something Marluxia couldn't take away.

"You're not going to get away with this!" She shouted, "Axel and Sora won't kill each other. They'll both come after _you_ instead!"

Marluxia stifled a laugh, "Such confident words for someone who was willing to kill you."

"He was only doing what he thought was best. And if it meant that you would be dead, too, I would gladly die!"

"You really are naïve, Naminé," The Assassin sighed, shaking his head. The girl narrowed her eyes, not buying into his subdued response. Slowly, the man started towards her with his hand extended, to which Naminé responded by taking as many steps back as she could. When her skin suddenly touched cold, marble wall, Marluxia closed the gap swiftly, coming upon her so that they were mere inches away. The girl set her face, strong and confident, but inside she was trembling with fear. The extended hand brushed the pale flesh of her cheek, and she snapped her head away. His fingers hovered in the air for a moment before slowly falling back to his side.

Marluxia made a sort of chuckle in his throat, "Right. Only Axel can touch you like that."

"_No one_ can touch me like that," She spat, "Not you, not Axel, not anyone."

"If it makes you feel better, Naminé, I wouldn't have guessed it from you if it hadn't been for that drawing. Axel was the one who let the secret slip."

A satisfied smile curved the Assassin's lips when the girl hesitated. Her mouth had opened, like she was preparing to shout, but she was suddenly trembling from shock and embarrassment. It had been one thing for Larxene to find it, but then for her to tell _Marluxia _about it made her wonder what else he knew about her. When his smile grew, Naminé wanted nothing more than to hide under a rock; maybe this was what it meant to feel self conscious. Even so, she would never admit anything to him, especially something like this. What was wrong with having a crush? She was sure that Larxene liked Axel, so why couldn't she like him, too?

"I think you're just trying to scare me," Naminé said finally, "I didn't draw anything. There is no secret."

Marluxia sighed in mock defeat, "I see there isn't any getting through to you. Keep thinking what you want, but I know different. Though," He placed his palm facing upwards and, after a moment, a shower of petals seemed to fall from his fingertips, which were replaced by a single rose resting softly in his hand, "I am flattered you chose to use my power as a symbol for your 'love'. Flowers are quite romantic, aren't they?"

Naminé swallowed hard when his fingers curled around the delicate flower, crushing the petals and snapping the stem in his grip. When his hand opened, a small cloud of black escaped and trailed up to disappear midway to the ceiling. Marluxia frowned, "A shame that they are so easily destroyed by fire."

"Then why won't _you_ be destroyed by fire?"

The Assassin turned his eyes on her, "Because fire only burns the weak."

Footsteps could suddenly be heard echoing from down the hall. Marluxia abruptly removed his attention from her as he awaited the victor of the struggle they left behind. Naminé found herself holding her breath, fearing who she would see emerge from the darkness. No matter who it was, she realized, she would not be happy. The two couldn't work together, nor would Axel even want to work with Sora. Either way, her nonexistent heart was going to broken. A shadow appeared.

Sora…

Invisible shards of glass ripped through the girl's chest, digging and tearing at the very fibers of her being. Darkness crept up on the edges of her vision, threatening to steal her consciousness, but she willed herself to hang on. She forced herself to see the boy and smile, to assure him that she was happy and relieved to see him. If only she could tell him how much of a lie that was, and yet so close to the truth. He was safe and sound, but his enemy was not. His enemy, her friend...

How could Axel have been defeated? He was so strong, so full of spirit, that it didn't seem possible to Naminé that someone like him could ever be gone. To her, he was the type of person that just simply lived forever with no explanation as to why. It defied logic to think that he could be hurt or killed, especially by some young boy with a key. Sora may be strong, but he couldn't kill Axel so easily. But here he was, with hardly a scratch on him, and no one followed behind him.

Tears stung the corners of her eyes. How was she supposed to pretend to be happy when she so obviously wasn't? Torn by two conflicting emotions that she shouldn't even feel, Naminé struggled to keep her head held high. If not for herself, for Sora.

For Axel.

**XXXXX**

**D'aww… Axel dead. Teehee.**

**I don't have much to say… I guess now that we're getting close to the end, I can go ahead and say that I'm working on a sequel. It's still very far from being done since I've been bad and haven't worked on it. Oops. But in the meantime, it'd be a help for you guys to tell me which worlds you'd like to see in the next one. I've already got The Pridelands, Atlantica, and Notre Dame (see? It was related!). So those are definite. So yea, give me a few ideas and I might take a few of them. :D **

**Alrighty, that's it! Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading, and also thanks to those of you who have favorited/alerted me or this story! **

**Until Next Time,  
Manwathiel**


	9. Ache

**I turned my computer into an armored fortress the other day. I was hit with an onslaught of viruses so I went OMFG and shut down pretty much everything you can possibly think of. I went to run every type of scan I had and they came back with nothing and I was all "wtf?" so I had my brother come look at the screen and was like, "That's an advertisement, you moron." So… I just finished coming out of my bomb shelter today. Yea.**

**Oh yea, here's chapter nine. It's more of a filler than anything else. It represents what happens when an author doesn't plan very well. Or learn from her catastrophic attempts at inserting scenes. Hehe.**

**XXXXX**

Chapter 9- Ache

The pyro winced when he allowed his legs to give way and his tailbone hit against the stone ledge. His breathing was still ragged from his fight with the boy and almost every part of him hurt. It had been a long time since he had to fight to protect himself, as opposed to fighting for practice, and it definitely showed. Once this mess was over, he reminded himself that he would have to find some victims worth going up against. It was embarrassing to think that some little kid gave him a run for his munny.

And, as much as he hated to admit it, maybe Sora was the one who deserved to dispose of Marluxia anyway. The Graceful Assassin had dealt hell upon him; now it was time for him to receive his own punishment. Then, after he was gone, Sora could leave and take Naminé with him. Together, they could slowly build up the memories he lost. That was how Axel imagined it should be. It was a cruel turn of events that brought her to the Organization, so it would be best for him to let her go and attempt to live as normally as a Nobody could. He could just tell the others that she was killed in some freak accident involving electricity and a bathtub.

So what now? At the moment, Axel couldn't see how his role in this fiasco could continue. Not that he was complaining, of course, but the thought that this was over seemed difficult to comprehend. So much time had been invested in Castle Oblivion; it was almost a shame that it did not serve its purpose. To go back to the rest of the Organization and adopt his old routine seemed almost… absurd. Especially since, as of now, only he and Zexion would be returning. Marluxia's defeat seemed inevitable, so no doubt he would be counted amongst the four members who fell to the power of the Keyblade.

A flicker of interest passed through the pyro's mind at the thought of Zexion. He still had yet to deliver that data. Maybe he wasn't quite finished…

A breath hissed past his teeth as the pyro tried to rise from his perch on the ledge that ran around the clock tower, thanks to a sharp pain that suddenly tore through his side. That might prevent him from making the visit to the Schemer any time soon. Not only because his ribs hurt like hell, but his pride wouldn't let anyone see him in such a state. And he especially didn't want to have to tell anyone that some kid did this to him.

Axel didn't want to know how long he sat on that ledge and he _definitely_ didn't want to know how long he had been cursing his own body for being in so much pain. It was a terrible twist of fate for a Nobody to never be happy, never be sad, but they could physically hurt just as much as a Somebody could. How was that fair? The pyro had been busy pleading with himself to stop aching when the previously unnoticeable pulsing at his left temple, the result of a dull blow from the Keyblade, flared as the hiss of a portal came from behind him. Axel nearly toppled from the top of the clock tower in his haste to prepare himself for another fight, but it was a pair of wide, blue eyes that greeted him when he whirled around. The chakrams that he couldn't remember summoning trembled in his hands, threatening to slip from his weakening grasp, but they faded back into darkness before they could clatter to the ground. He tried to force his usual grin.

"Hey there, Roxas."

The grin faded quickly and Axel allowed his legs to give way again, but this only added to his discomfort when he misjudged the location of the ledge and ended up flat on his back; he stared blearily up at his friend. The boy's brows shot nearly to his hairline and his hands fell to his sides.

"Hey yourself," The boy replied with both curiosity and confusion, "What happened to you?"

The pyro pursed his lips and casually crossed his arms behind his head, "No idea what you're talking about," He peered up at his friend, narrowing his eyes a bit against the light filtering from the west. His expression dared Roxas to continue and maybe it deterred the boy enough from asking further questions regarding the redhead's current state, but certainly not from asking anything else.

"What are you doing in Twilight Town? I thought you were supposed to be at Castle Oblivion."

"Yea…" Axel trailed off, finally pushing himself upright again. He tried to mask the wince with a grin when a joint popped in a discouraging way, though he was ever aware of Roxas' questioning eyes on him. He shrugged, "Just taking a break from the hustle and bustle, you know?"

Roxas snorted, "Hustle and bustle, huh?"

The pyro's eyes jumped to the boy's as he took a seat beside him. What was that supposed to mean? Roxas shifted his glance to his friend, who quickly looked away as an attempt at nonchalance.

"If you can put killing under 'hustle and bustle', then I don't blame you," He continued. When the redhead failed to acknowledge him, he rolled his eyes, "C'mon, Axel, stop being a jerk. What's going on? The others over there are getting annihilated."

Axel scoffed under his breath, "What makes you think that?"

"Xemnas told us," The boy answered softly, "He knew, somehow. So did the others. When he told us, no one seemed surprised."

And why should they? Axel himself had noticed right away that Organization members were being picked off; he had no doubt that the others had felt the shift in power, the expanding of the margins that were swiftly encroached upon when someone else's strength attempted to grow into the empty space. Just as his had done. He smiled dryly at the boy and wondered if he himself had been as oblivious when he joined the Organization.

"Nothing gets past you guys, huh?" Axel chuckled, drawing one knee up to his chest. He was pleased to find that no pain followed, "It's because I'm strong. The others can't keep up."

"Strong? Doesn't look like it," The Key of Destiny noted, taking in his friend's disheveled appearance and ignoring the glare sent his way, "Do you need any help?"

The pyro was quick to respond vehemently, "No. I don't want you anywhere near that place. I don't need someone else to worry over."

As soon as he said it, Axel had a feeling he said too much. The boy's eyes were on him immediately, no doubt determined to tag along now. The kid was still in training, learning and testing his limits, and sometimes he overestimated himself; the pyro cared for him too much to let him come and possibly end up like Larxene, Lexaeus, Vexen, and, hopefully, Marluxia. Still, he had a feeling it was more than determination that reflected in Roxas' eyes; he was curious about something. Suspicious, maybe, and neither were things that the redhead wanted to deal with. As much as he wanted to continue relaxing before jumping back into the thick of things, Axel wasn't willing to take the chance of Roxas becoming too interested. Black and purple wisps of darkness wafted up from his feet in preparation for his hasty exit.

"Don't follow me, Roxas," He said sternly, "I mean it."

"But-"

"Don't make me pull rank on you, kid," The warning slipped out before he had time to think about it, "I'll have you doing slave work once I get back if you so much as step one foot in that castle."

A look of devastation was the last thing the pyro saw of his friend before darkness took him and he found himself back in the blinding white halls of Castle Oblivion. Though exhaustion still tugged at his muscles, Axel knew that he couldn't sit idle for long. Fortunately, it didn't take much longer for him to recover. Soon, he was back on his feet and pondering over what to do next. For the moment, Naminé was out of his thoughts, now that Sora was with her, and he was confident that Roxas would listen and keep away. Perhaps it would be a good time to pay Zexion a visit, as he had originally planned before getting sidetracked. Picking out the Schemer's aura was easier now that there were fewer to sort through. It wasn't surprising to Axel that he found him hiding in one of the deeper levels of the basement. How predictable.

Once he was sure that no scrapes and bruises were evident, the pyro made the quick trip between his floor and Zexion's through a portal. Having been in the light so long, everything was completely black when he emerged in the basement. He heard, more than saw, Zexion turn towards him as he tried to blink some vision back into his eyes.

Despite just having the stuffing beat out of him, Axel had no trouble dealing out his usual sarcasm, "First Vexen, then Larxene, and now Lexaeus," He counted off on his fingers, "Gee, I wonder who's going next?"

Zexion's lips twitched upwards in a small smile, "Maybe it's you. Hello, by the way."

"Yea, hey," The pyro waved the greeting aside, "I've already got my beating from Sora, so I've kicked the bucket as far as he's concerned. Besides, I'm putting my munny on Marluxia being the next one to go," When Zexion quirked his head to the side slightly, Axel crossed his arms with a stern frown. His tone was serious as he continued, "Just as I thought, he and Larxene plotted to use Sora against the Organization. It'd be fitting for Sora to be his downfall."

The Cloaked Schemer nodded, "Just as we feared as well. Vexen approached me with his concerns, but I was too trusting of a fellow member to doubt him. I never thought one of our own would turn traitor."

"Oh, okay," Axel laughed, "So that's what you three were whispering about in the library that day?"

Zexion actually appeared surprised, much to the pyro's amusement. The Schemer always prided himself on being ever aware of his surroundings, and to think that something managed to slip past him was almost embarrassing. Affronted, he tilted his nose to the air, "I wasn't sure if that was you or not. Naminé's smell has too much potency; it must have masked yours."

Axel stopped himself before he could agree. It was normal for this particular Nobody to comment on the scents of people and objects and whatever else he came across, but the same may not hold for the pyro. The only smell he ever commented on was the odor emanating from the kitchens whenever it was Xigbar's turn to cook, and Naminé most certainly did not smell like gun powder and road kill. Quite the opposite, actually. More like… things that he wasn't going to think about right now. Maybe it was best to get the discussion back on topic.

"So, what are you going to do now? I don't see much use for Riku anymore," He said with a dismissive shrug.

"Assuming Sora wins," Zexion reminded him, but Axel didn't pay him much heed. The Cloaked Schemer brushed away his hair from his eyes, only for it to slide back in place moments later, "But yes, if Marluxia is defeated, then we will have no more need for Riku's strength. We lose nothing in discarding him."

The pyro raised a dubious brow, "Good luck getting rid of him. You want to take on someone who wasted Lexaeus?"

"I don't believe it was Riku who killed Lexaeus," Zexion answered swiftly, causing Axel to drop his hands to his sides, "It was Riku's body, but not his mind. Something powerful stirs within the darkness of his heart. And, whatever it may be, its scent is very similar to that of the Superior."

"Are you suggesting Xemnas possessed Riku and killed Lexaeus?"

"No, I'm suggesting something with Xemnas' power is being harbored inside Riku," He said easily, ignoring the smirk on Axel's lips, "And that power was called forth when faced with Lexaeus."

The pyro narrowed his eyes at the Schemer, "You know, things like that would have been nice to know earlier."

"Maybe you should have paid us a visit. Anyway," Zexion shrugged, "Did you happen to get any data on Sora and Riku's home, as I asked?"

"I could have."

"Axel."

"Yea?" He grinned. Zexion sighed.

"I'm not in the mood to play your games," He muttered, "You seem to forget that the only one of us still alive that is not a traitor is me, and I can just as easily hand you in to Xemnas, as I can Marluxia."

Axel chuckled, "Yet, you haven't reported any of us to Xemnas, so that makes you as much a traitor as me," Digging in his pocket, he withdrew a single card and twirled it between his fingers, "Besides, you know you'd rather have me around than that old bat."

Stiffly, the Schemer stepped towards the pyro and plucked the card from his fingers. As he tucked it in his pocket, a swirling portal opened to the side. Nodding his farewell, Zexion stepped through and it closed behind him. Axel watched the space for a moment, a small smirk growing on his face, and the gears in his mind continued to churn. Zexion could not defeat Riku. The kid may have let himself be corrupted by darkness, but he wasn't stupid enough to fall for the elder member's illusions. Whatever trial he may be faced with, the light still tucked away in his heart would see him through it.

IOIOIOI

Naminé touched her forehead to the cool, marble wall, shutting her eyes as she did so. Her arms wrapped themselves around her slender waist, desperately seeking comfort and finding none. In her ears echoed the clashing of metal against metal, labored breathing, and pain-filled cries. The struggle between boy and Assassin seemed to have been etched into her eyelids, so even closed the terrible images still flashed before her eyes. She loved this boy, and yet hated him. She wanted him to make Marluxia go away, but she wanted him to go away, too. She should be glad that she was free now; he had done this for her. But he killed her only friend… how could she ever look upon him with true happiness?

A warm hand touched her shoulder, and she started in surprise. The hand hesitated, hovering an inch from her skin, before placing itself on her again. Naminé looked over her shoulder and tried to smile. The teal eyes of the replica were searching her, desperate to understand the grief marring her delicate face.

"What's wrong, Naminé?" He questioned softly. The girl shook her head.

"I'm okay. Just… worried."

The frown on his lips curved upwards then and he said, "You shouldn't be. Sora will be fine in there."

Naminé gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "I know."

**XXXXX**

**See? Filler chapter, pretty much. Sorry about that, guys! Hope you could enjoy it anyway. Next chapter is a lot longer… and a lot better. I can promise you that much. I have a feeling everyone will get a kick out of it. :snicker:**

**Okay, so I'm writing a quick one-shot of a pairing so obscure that only one story has been written for them: Axel and Rikku. With two K's. I have no idea why, but I already have a certain fondness for them... yea. Even though I've never played Final Fantasy X or X-2. Hurr. So yea, just throwing that out there in case anyone would like to comment on it or my insanity. **

**Alrighty, not much else to say... other than I have to go back to school today. Nooo! :grumble: Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading!**

**Until Next Time,**

**Manwathiel**


	10. Sleep

**I am so excited about this chapter, but also scared. It's been a while since I've posted anything like this… but hopefully the quality has improved since then. And I hope it isn't a letdown… I took my beta's advice and left the chapter alone. So yea. Blame her if it's terrible! **

**I loff you, Schmelly. 3 **

**For some reason, I seem to enjoy listening to Rakuen by Do As Infinity while reading the last bit, even though it is completely different from the music I listened to while writing it (River Flows in You- Yiruma… also a good song). I suggest taking a listen. Enjoy the chapter!**

**XXXXX **

Chapter 10- Sleep

It was a given that a Nobody should be alone. Maybe that was the only thing they really deserved. Naminé would have easily believed it, accepted it like it was common knowledge, because that's the only thing that made sense now. What little she knew was gone; everyone she thought she liked had disappeared. Rejection and pain were the only things in her life, and only now that she no longer had those people did she realize how much she failed to appreciate them. In such a short amount of time, she befriended the one who held her captive- maybe she even had a little crush on him- but he was killed by the one that she prayed would finally free her. The one she wanted so badly to come for her now was her enemy, and yet she could not hate him. How was it that one who was not supposed to have emotions could feel such anguish? Was this tightening in her chest an emotion, this feeling of being completely and utterly alone?

Naminé placed her hand against the glass of one of the many pods placed about the room. On the outside, they were all beautiful. Light reflected off the petal-like walls, creating a stream of dazzling colors, and they hummed softly, as though breathing. Inside, however, they housed the cause of all this torment she felt. They protected the three friends that fought so hard to get to where they were, and yet they chose to forget it all. They did not understand what she thought, what she believed she could feel. Insensitive, selfish, thoughtless. They didn't care about her. They didn't care that she was alone.

The girl gave a shuddering breath as she turned away. What was she to do now? Everyone was gone. Sora, Marluxia, Vexen, Larxene, Axel; all far away now. She didn't know what became of Zexion or Lexaeus, but she did not think they would come to look for her unless someone ordered them to. And if they did seek her out, she had no intention of being found. But she hadn't the faintest idea of where to go from here.

Though, she did have DiZ; a strange man, garbed in robes of black and red, with his face concealed by a mantle that revealed only certain aspects of his face. Maybe he was disfigured somehow, or maybe he simply didn't want to be known. He would help her restore Sora's memories, but she didn't believe she could ever fully trust him. He expected too much of her without giving anything in return. But he offered to help, and that was more than she could hope to have.

But he was not here now. Naminé was alone to drown in the fake grief that threatened to swallow her whole.

Another gasp of breath shuddered past her lips before she forced herself to leave the room; she feared she would claw open the pods herself if she didn't. As she walked, she noticed how the slap of her sandals against the tile seemed so much louder. The sound travelled down the empty corridors, bouncing back and forth off the walls, and disappearing into the far distance. The girl stopped then, stuck between the room she left behind and another she had never visited. It occurred to her that she never had any knowledge of where she was; all she had ever known was her room and, more recently, their meeting room. All else beyond that was a mystery, and yet she knew one thing for certain: they were just as empty as she felt.

This realization was enough for Naminé to finally let loose the barrage of tears that she had struggled to contain. She hardly acknowledged the sharp pain in her knees when she fell to the floor with the balls of her palms pressed tightly against her eyes. Sobs racked her body like tremors of an earthquake. She had never felt the urge to cry like she did now and she was more than happy to release the pent up tension.

That was how he found her not long after.

IOIOIOI

He was a genius; simple as that. Hands down, he was the most intelligent and cunning Nobody ever to exist. Well, not exist, but… whatever.

Axel snickered triumphantly as he slammed shut the refrigerator door with his hip, a glass vase containing a wilted flower nearly tumbling to the floor from the force. He lazily strode across to the table and plopped himself down in a chair, kicking his feet up like the king that he thought he was. Carelessly, he tossed onto the table a bar of unopened, clearly expensive chocolate that he had discovered hiding behind a couple containers of thawed meat, then withdrew from his pocket a can of some sort of liquid; the label was in a foreign language, but it tasted good, whatever it was. With a crack, he popped the tab open and took a long swig, closing his eyes in bliss. What better way was there to celebrate victory than by indulging in a little junk food? Especially since the chocolate was Larxene's, who forbade anyone to touch it unless they wished to have their head permanently removed from their shoulders.

Even though he knew from the very beginning that he would correct the disunity in the Organization, Axel never would have guessed that so many would be lost in the process. Of course, he didn't want to kill a fellow member, but he would not hesitate if he had to. The death of Marluxia and Larxene did not come as a surprise to him. If Sora hadn't have been able to do it, he would have taken them out himself. However, the loss of three elder members certainly did a bit of damage. It was a shame that only one of them died to protect the Organization. The other two were so willing to reveal their secrets to save their own hides and they were justly punished for it. Axel made sure of that.

It was a lot quieter now, though. No one moving about, preparing food, plotting the destruction of innocent victims. The pyro frowned a bit as he leaned onto the back legs of his chair. After only one day of solitude, he was ready to go back to the Castle that Never Was. To the others.

He couldn't yet, though. There were still people here, lurking in the upper floors of the castle. The freak with the red mask was hanging around, and Riku, too. That kid was still here, the one who killed Lexaeus. And the mutated rat.

"Maybe I should set out mouse traps," Axel thought aloud with a sadistic smile. He raised the can to his lips, then set about unwrapping the chocolate. It wasn't as satisfying as he thought it would be; maybe because the thrill of stealing it and avoiding Larxene was now absent.

Naminé was still here, too. The thought quickly quieted any prior excitement that being victorious had brought. His fingers tightened on the can, leaving small indents behind, and he fell back onto all four legs of his chair. That was certainly a mood killer. Before he could go back to the Castle, he had to make sure this place was abandoned and that included the girl. Especially the girl. Bringing her back was completely out of the question; maybe she would be going with DiZ. That would work, wouldn't it?

But he wanted to see her again, even if she didn't see him. It would be better for her to think that he was dead, like she probably already did. Then she could get over whatever it was she had for him, and that would give him enough reason to forget all those thoughts about her that had been haunting him lately.

Axel stripped off a piece of paper from the chocolate, rolled it into a small ball between his fingers, and sent it flying across the table. He broke off a piece of a corner and popped it in his mouth. Maybe it wouldn't hurt just to see how she was doing. It would give him a sense of closure, at least, to whatever they had started. He would have no problem finding her, now that the others weren't around to cover up her faint aura. It was always there, her aura, pulsing at the back of his mind, beckoning him to come seek her out. Now that he had nothing to block it, it became increasingly tempting and frustrating.

Before he knew what he was doing, Axel had risen from his chair and formed a portal; the food sat forgotten on the table. It took a mere ten seconds to pinpoint exactly where she was, but he chose to come out a few halls down from her. Though he knew his caution was unfounded, the pyro quickly scanned the area for any sign of a threat; namely, DiZ. The guy couldn't hurt him, but they would only stay longer if they knew an Organization member was still running about the castle. Once confident he was the only one around, he started in the direction of Naminé.

He heard her before he saw her, and that was enough to hasten his pace. Crying… she was _crying_.

Axel peeked around the corner and, sure enough, the frail girl lay crumpled on the hard floor against the wall. The redhead frowned, not wanting his last glimpse of her to be like this, but unsure whether to approach her or not. Why was she crying anyway? She was safe, she was free, and her captors were gone. What more could she want?

His boots made soft thuds on the marble tile as he approached, but she didn't seem to hear him until he stopped only a few feet away. The girl abruptly stopped crying, her shuddering ceased, and she took an audible breath. Axel hesitated before taking another step closer and crouching down to balance on the balls of his feet; he fought the urge to touch her hair.

"Hey, kid."

There was a brief moment of silence, and then she reacted in a way completely opposite of what he had expected: she jolted away.

Axel stared in surprise at the confusion and fear shining in her bloodshot eyes. Dried tears stained her cheeks. Her lips parted, like she wanted to say something, but words failed to form. In an attempt to console her, the pyro tried a smile, but that only caused her to turn her face away and another wave of tears fell like a waterfall.

The redhead was at a loss of what to do. He couldn't remember ever having to comfort anyone; not having emotions sort of made it impossible to be upset about something. Not even Larxene cried, except maybe in rage. Axel tried to think of something that would make her feel better, but the best he could come up with was, "C'mon, enough with the waterworks. I heard you all the way down in the kitchen."

That caused her to stop and slowly look at him. Unsure of whether that was the best response, Axel gave her a cross between a grin and a grimace. If she was anything like Larxene, he was probably about to lose what made him male, or at least come very close to losing it. He spread his fingers against the floor to support his balance in case he needed to make a hasty retreat. Fortunately, his cause for concern was unnecessary, for the girl suddenly leapt at him with her arms wide. Before he knew what hit him, her head was buried in his chest, her arms were tight around his waist, and he was dangerously close to falling on his butt.

"Careful, Naminé," He chuckled with some hesitation, "Thought we learned to keep our space."

Axel could feel her fingers grip his coat. Her voice was rough from crying as she whispered, "I-I thought… I thought you were…"

"Yea, I know," Without thinking, the pyro placed his hand on top of her head, "You should give me more credit. You think I can be taken out by some kid and an oversized house key? I don't think so."

Naminé giggled, "I know."

The girl let out a deep sigh, and with it went the pain and worries that had slowly been eating at her mind. Axel shifted to his knees into a more comfortable position, and Naminé used this as an opportunity to draw herself closer to his warmth. He flinched, unused to such close proximity, but allowed her to do so; unbidden, his hand trailed down to rest between her shoulders. His peridot eyes darted from side to side, hoping and yet dreading for a distraction. A few moments passed in which the girl calmed down, but her grip never faltered. It was stifling to him, but not unwelcome. This was the closest to his daydreams he could ever allow her or himself to be.

"Hey," He started, "You hungry?"

A brief pause, and she nodded. Axel grinned.

"Lemme up then; we'll get something for you."

When Naminé made it clear she was determined not to move from her position, the pyro began an awkward shuffle back onto his feet until he was able to force himself up. Bruises from the more recent fights protested and muscles he wasn't aware he had threatened to send him back to his knees, but he finally made it to his full stature. The girl's feet dangled a good foot from the floor; Axel had to smirk as he said, "Persistent, aren't you?"

The girl mumbled something, then released her hold on him and gently slipped to the floor. There was a faint pink dusting on her cheeks as she looked up at him and smiled; he returned it by ruffling her hair. They crossed into a portal and out, emerging back in the kitchens. Axel approached the refrigerator and peered inside, motioning for Naminé to take a seat at the table as he did so. She eagerly obeyed.

"So, what will Naminé have today?" He asked over his shoulder as he leaned against the door of the fridge, "I'm sure if you look past all the crap that's been here so long it's growing legs and having kids, you'll find something relatively safe."

Naminé laughed softly, recognizing this as one of his jokes. She hoped it was a joke, at least. She said, "Whatever you think I'll like. I've never chosen my food before."

"That's specific," He muttered. Axel rummaged through the shelves for a moment before pulling out a particularly gruesome looking block of cheese with a bite already taken out of it, "How about this?"

The pyro snickered when the girl made a high pitched squeal of disgust, then placed the offending food neatly back in its place. Hmm… what did girls like to eat? Larxene always ate the most expensive things she could find and ordered them to be prepared perfectly, but he certainly wasn't going to do that for Naminé. He would be lucky if he could make a slice of toast without scorching it and saturating it with butter and jelly. Tentatively, he glanced back at her, only to find her eyeing the previously forgotten bar of chocolate. Oh, no. That wasn't going to happen.

"That's mine," He informed her; his attempt to be polite about it obviously failed. Naminé looked up at him, embarrassed, then nodded once.

"Sorry."

Was that supposed to make him feel guilty? He supposed that if he was even capable of feeling guilty, he would be feeling it right about now. Axel rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh, then slammed the refrigerator door shut. Naminé watched him curiously as he sat opposite her at the table, broke off a chunk of the chocolate, and offered it to her. The girl stared at the food for a moment, then back up to him. When she opened her mouth to question him, the pyro simply raised his hand to stop her.

"Eat it," Despite the less than encouraging words, Naminé obeyed. Carefully, she bit off a corner of the chocolate, and a smile immediately lit up her face. Axel chuckled, leaning back in his chair. He asked, "Never had that stuff before, huh?"

Naminé swallowed, shaking her head to the negative, "No, I wasn't given much choice for food. I just ate what was brought to me."

"Oh. Right," The pyro muttered, averting his attention to his fingers tapping in a steady rhythm on the table. He'd rather not go over her treatment during her time as a captive, more because he didn't want to remind her of it rather than his own opinions. He couldn't consider her a captive now, even though she technically still was. If she was a captive, then he wouldn't be sitting in the kitchen with her, sharing a bar of chocolate stolen from one deceased. He wouldn't be taking into consideration how she might feel about it, or what she was thinking right now. Axel's eyes glanced over the girl while she was distracted by the food. It would be easier to think of her as a captive, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not anymore. He didn't have the heart.

"I guess," The pyro drawled as he broke off a piece of his half of the chocolate, "Sora's gone already?" When he made eye contact, he quickly realized that wasn't the best choice for conversation. A small frown marred the girl's delicate features, and her gaze turned downwards. Axel wanted to smack himself. However, before he had a chance to change the subject, Naminé shook her head and forced a smile.

"Depends what you mean by 'gone'," She answered softly, "He's still here physically, but his mind isn't. I'm working on restoring his memories."

Axel grinned, "Well, that's nice of you. He must be happy. Why the sad face then?"

"Because…" Her voice hitched then, explaining what had caused her to be in such a state as she was when he found her. The pyro wanted to smack himself again for bringing this back to the surface, but she seemed determined to get this out. She took a moment to contain herself, then continued, "Because he's going to forget what happened here."

Always the sympathetic one, Axel rested his elbows on the table and said, "Seems like that would be best for him."

"Yea, I know," Her words did not match her expression. The redhead leaned forward.

"Does that mean he's going to forget you, too?"

That was enough to break the dam and unleash a waterfall of tears; what made it worse this time was he_ was_ the cause of it. As the girl buried her face in her arms to hide her red cheeks, Axel awkwardly chewed on his bottom lip, "Hey, it's okay," He tried to soothe her, "At least, he'll be happy later, right?"

A sniffle was the answer he received. Axel frowned; this wasn't working. Her crying was bothering him more than he expected it to, and he wanted her to stop before he did something overly dramatic. But perhaps it was already too late, for he soon found himself kneeling beside her with his head supported by his crossed arms on the table. Aware of his close proximity, Naminé peeked from behind a curtain of wheat colored hair, and the pyro could see the faint blush creeping up on her cheeks.

Axel brushed the girl's hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear, then offered her the closest thing to a smile that he could manage. Judging by the uncertainty on her face, he wasn't quite sure he succeeded, but made up for it by gently touching his fingers to her cheek and brushing away the trail of tears with his thumb. The girl's eyes widened at the gesture, and he finally gave in to the grin that he was desperately trying to suppress. He said, "Do me a favor and stop crying. It doesn't suit you and it makes me feel like crap."

"What?" She mumbled. Axel moved his hand to rest on her head.

"Stop crying over Sora. He's gone and there's nothing you can do to change it, so why beat yourself up over it?" He stood to his full height, and her eyes followed him up, "Besides, you've got me now. And I guarantee I'm much better than some kid."

Naminé gave him a small smile, "I guess."

"What do you mean, you guess? Of course I'm better!"

The girl laughed this time, despite the few tears still trapped in her lashes. Grinning lightly, Axel casually leaned against her chair and allowed his hand to brush fleetingly against her shoulder. The action made him cringe inwardly, knowing that doing so would only make it harder for him to let her go and to continue denying that he had some twisted interest in the girl. He reminded himself of his own words, that age didn't matter to a Nobody, but a Nobody wasn't even supposed to feel these things in the first place. It seemed he was either breaking all the rules, or putting new ones in place. Hopefully, it was the latter.

"Where are the others?" Naminé asked suddenly.

"Who?"

"The other Organization members here."

"Oh," Axel scoffed as a smirk ghosted his lips, "Dead."

The girl whipped around to face him, "All of them?" She gasped.

"Yep, every last one of them. Hey, don't look at me like that," The redhead warned when Naminé's eyes began to narrow accusingly. Axel waved his hand in the air, "Sora did most of the work. He took out Larxene and Marluxia, Riku got Lexaeus, and the replica got Zexion. Little old me only got to kill Vexen, and that was just so I could get on Marluxia's good side. But no one really liked the old bat anyway."

"That's a lot of deaths."

Axel shrugged, "Miniscule when you look at the big picture."

Naminé frowned, "What's the big picture?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The pyro chuckled, lightly tapping the girl on the nose. Before she could ask anything else, he changed the subject, "So, now that we have nothing to do, what do you want to do today?"

"You mean, you're going to hang around with me?" The girl questioned, surprised that he would ask her such a thing. Axel rolled his eyes, like that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

"What else am I going to do? I can't leave until the freak, the rat, and Riku leave. And, preferably, you'll be gone, too. Unless you want to come back to the rest of the Organization and become a prisoner again," He offered when she took up a look of hurt. Immediately, she shook her head, and Axel nodded in satisfaction, "Didn't think so."

There was a brief lapse in conversation as Naminé pondered over the many possibilities for entertainment, and Axel contemplated how those tiny air bubbles managed to get in the chocolate. It didn't take long for him to grow bored with this. Eventually, he wandered back to his seat and sat down heavily. After a moment, his eyes shifted up to the girl who was focusing on her food as though she were having a battle with it and, judging by her furrowed brow, losing.

"I just want to talk," She finally said. Axel paused.

"That's it?" He deadpanned. Shyly, Naminé nodded. The pyro blew out an extended breath past his lips, linking his fingers behind his head, "Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

The girl shrugged. Well, that was helpful.

"I can't work with nothing, Naminé," He informed her. She nodded and lowered her eyes.

"Just… anything. Anything at all."

And so they talked about anything that came to mind. It was difficult at first for both to open up enough to make a discussion last more than a minute, but soon one topic led into another. Naminé was quick to pick up the difference between his jokes and when he was being serious, and Axel consequently learned what was alright to say and what wasn't. Usually, he didn't give a damn if someone didn't like what he said, but it was different with the girl. Just like everything else seemed to be, he realized during a pause. Naminé was going to be leaving soon and he might never see her again, but now was the moment that they chose to bond. Perhaps because it was the first real opportunity or perhaps because they had been too preoccupied with the events of the castle to notice what they were missing. Axel found himself laughing more than he expected, listening more, and the girl proved that she actually did have a voice.

The can of liquid had gone warm by the time the Nobodies finally ran out of things to say. They were left in a comfortable silence that neither were in a hurry to break. It was at this point when Naminé was fiddling with her fingernails that Axel began to wonder if maybe his interest in her was more than he originally thought it was. He still thought he was wrong for thinking it, but now that he had more to go on, he wondered if maybe it wasn't as twisted as it seemed to be. The girl didn't notice his eyes on her and it was good she didn't; he didn't want her to see the questions flickering behind them. He didn't want her to know that he was rethinking his words to her, to give her hope when they were so close to parting ways.

Parting ways. The notion created a pang of dread that Axel hadn't been expecting. It gnawed at his stomach and he tried to will it away. It only increased when he looked away from the girl's face.

"Are you okay, Axel?" Naminé's gentle voice asked.

"Yea, I'm good," He answered. He could feel her eyes on him, but he kept his own averted.

The girl shifted in her seat, "Am I bothering you?"

"Nah, of course not," He offered a grin, this time meeting her gaze, "Good conversation is hard to come by now that everyone is kind of, you know, dead." Even as he said it, Axel wondered if he intended that to be funny or not. He thought it was, yea, if not a bit dark. Naminé tried to appreciate the humor, but her smile was just a little too fake. The pyro made an awkward chuckle. He would have to work on his people skills.

"When do I have to leave?" Naminé asked out of the blue, catching the redhead off guard. Axel hesitated, knowing he should tell her to leave immediately, but he didn't want her to go just yet. He wanted just a little longer with her, even if only for a brief moment. Though he looked forward to going back to the Organization, he wasn't ready for things to return to normal. The girl who sat before him became more prominent in his life than he anticipated and it was unsettling. He shouldn't rely this much on her, but he did and that would make it all the harder to leave.

"Whenever you want," He forced out, despite yelling at himself to say otherwise, "I'm here as long as you're here."

For some reason, Naminé's face fell at this, but she nodded anyway, "Okay."

IOIOIOI

The majority of the day, Naminé and Axel found themselves drifting separately rather than their original intention of sticking together. Now that everything had concluded, new thoughts and ideas were finally allowed to meander through their minds without worry. The girl surprised herself by returning to her room early in the day to simply sit and stare at the sketchbook that was now useless. She would flip through each picture, studying every line and color, but then would forget the image as soon as the page was turned. Only one stayed etched in her mind, and that was the one that nearly got her in trouble. Some of the color had been smudged from Larxene's rough handling and a corner was crinkled, but it was in good shape otherwise. Naminé's fingers brushed over the picture and wondered what would happen if it ever came to pass.

Could it ever happen? They were Nobodies, and yet she felt this thing that she couldn't possibly label as 'fake'. It was too real, almost like it could be tangible. Now that she was alone with only him for company, she realized how much she truly desired it.

Night approached them swifter than they anticipated and Axel unknowingly found his mind drifting to matters quite similar to those of the girl's. As he shed his coat and tossed it carelessly on the floor, kicking off his boots as he did so, his thoughts raced over the possibilities that he was forced to ignore. He could deny it no longer, now that there was nothing else to distract him: as twisted as he believed it to be, he had an interest in a girl that should have meant nothing to him. Maybe because they were Nobodies, it didn't matter how many years separated them or what others thought. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could justify these feelings that shouldn't have even existed.

She was kind, thoughtful, pretty; everything that Larxene wasn't, and maybe that was why his interest in the Nymph would flicker and extinguish so quickly every few months. But Naminé… she was different from everything he had come to expect, and that was what drew him to her. While Larxene was a lick of a flame, Naminé was a roaring bonfire. She simply couldn't be ignored.

Still clad in his black leather pants and faded tank top, Axel haphazardly sprawled himself on his bed, face down, and let out a heavy breath. The place that had become a sanctuary over the past couple days was now unwelcome, but the gentle lull of sleep was too tempting to ignore. Soon, his eyes had shut and his breathing deepened. Darkness was all that he ever dreamed of, but there were always small flickers off to the side, like colored stars glistening on a moonless night. A true, relaxing sleep… he hadn't had that in quite a while.

It seemed he wouldn't get it, either.

The pyro's eyes snapped open when the door to his room creaked on its hinges. A faint light from the hall filtered through the small crack, catching him in the face, but he was able to make out a hesitant figure standing just outside. Shielding his eyes from the light with his hand, he pushed himself up onto his elbows as the door opened just a bit more.

"What do you want?" Axel finally ground out; his voice was rough from sleep. Maybe he had been out longer than he thought. The figure cowered back.

"Sorry… I was just… scared."

The pyro allowed his jaw to drop for a moment, "What do you mean, _scared_?" He snapped, "It's night time, Naminé. Go to sleep."

Anxiously, the girl moved closer to the door frame as though she were trying to disappear into it. She looked like she was struggling within herself, debating whether or not to say what was on her mind. Normally, Axel would be willing to wait for about five seconds for her to speak, but now he couldn't even give her that. His exhaustion wasn't willing to go along with her hesitation, and he found himself sitting completely upright in a second. Naminé wasn't given the opportunity to speak.

"I haven't had sleep in a week, okay? I want to go to _bed_," Axel spat, "So, unless you have something so important that the world is going to blow up if you don't say it now, I suggest you march yourself back to your room or I swear I'll-"

"Can I stay with you?"

That cut his tirade short. The words fell off his lips like weights, and he found he could only stare flabbergasted at the girl standing in his doorway. That she would even think to ask such a thing was amazing in itself, and to actually go through with it was so astounding that Axel, for a brief moment, considered complying with no arguments. However, he did not even want to imagine what would happen if he did agree. Before the images could begin to form in his mind, the redhead shot her down.

"You don't need me," He said, calmer this time, though certainly not in a better mood, "You've slept alone before."

Naminé cheeks had gone as red as a tomato, "I know, but-"

"Come on, kid," Axel groaned, "You're fifteen, right? You don't need me to hold your hand."

The girl surprised him yet again by stomping her foot in irritation. It was a weak attempt at intimidation and would have made him laugh under different circumstances, but maybe his fatigue made it impossible to find anything funny. Instead, he actually listened to what she felt was so important that she needed to wake him up.

"DiZ is leaving tomorrow!" She shouted, "Which means that I'm going with him and we're probably not going to see each other anymore. So I… wanted to stay with you."

Man, wasn't she just full of surprises tonight? Axel, for the first time, took into consideration what she was saying. Though he had no doubt that their paths would eventually cross again, she did have a point. This was the last time they'd have a chance to be together, having been separated most of the time when the other Organization members were still around. Axel couldn't consider Naminé a friend- she was nice, but moreover she was just an unfortunate witness to the chaos within the Organization. They were not supposed to be friends. None of them were.

But to Naminé, he _was_ a friend. Maybe the only one she had. So perhaps, just this once, he could try to see her as she did him.

With an irritated sigh, Axel shifted his legs off the bed, "You're sleeping on the floor."

The girl hesitated, "…What?"

"I said, you're sleeping on the floor," He muttered again as he pulled off the wrinkled comforter on his bed. Without much care, he tossed it onto the floor in a big heap and attempted to smooth it out with his foot. When he didn't hear another word from her, Axel glanced over his shoulder with narrowed eyes, "You said you wanted to stay here, right? Fine. But you're not touching my bed."

It took a few seconds for Naminé to realize that he had given in, then hurried over to the makeshift bed. It certainly didn't look very comfortable, but at least he had given her this one thing. Like the brief moment they had spent in the rain, she knew she would cherish this one forever. It was one of the few things anyone had given to her during her time with the Organization. For some reason, the thought that this time was coming to a close was enough to make her stomach drop. With some dejection, Naminé watched as Axel flopped back down onto his bed; the mattress squeaked under his weight as he shifted into a more comfortable position.

"Thank you, Axel."

There was silence on his end, then a grunt muffled by his pillow. The girl giggled softly.

As he listened to her rearrange the blankets, Axel knew that he would get no sleep now. Her light breathing was a constant reminder of her presence, thus a constant image of her delicate form in his mind. Knowing that she was so close, so oblivious to the world around her, he was unable to shake the thoughts that haunted him so. He shut his eyes tightly, tried to think of something else, but she was always in his peripheral vision. One thought would lead to another, completely unrelated to the girl, and yet they managed to find a path to her. Eventually, after he was sure more than an hour had passed and she had long since fallen asleep, Axel simply gave up. She would never know that he was watching her, studying every curve and line of her face. She would never know he noticed that her lashes were like gentle brush strokes painted across her cheeks, and that her lips would always be slightly parted while she slept. She would never know that he wanted to touch those lips, caress them with his fingers, taste them…

"Agh," He groaned, burying his head under his pillow. It was insane that he was doing this to himself; he wanted this to go away. He wanted Naminé to go away so he wouldn't have to deal with this torture.

"You okay?"

Even laced with sleep, her voice was still soft and full of concern. However, Axel remained frozen as the girl shuffled in her makeshift bed. He heard her sit up, yawning as she did so. Maybe if he didn't move, she would think he was asleep, though his rigid posture didn't suggest that very well. Neither did the fact that he had just smothered his head under his pillow.

"Axel?"

"What?"

"Are you awake?

"No."

The pyro allowed a small smile to curve his lips. The girl paused, "What's the matter?"

"Scary dream."

"Uh-huh," The dubious tone of her voice told him that she knew him well enough to know when he was messing around; whether or not this was good had yet to be seen. As he tossed the pillow off his head to land at his feet, Axel turned his head to face her and allowed her a glimpse of his grin. It was obvious she was still tired; sleeping on the floor probably didn't help matters much. Still, he had a feeling she was getting more of it than he was. Naminé asked again, "What's wrong? And don't lie."

Axel let out a long breath that tousled the girl's hair. What was he supposed to tell her? He could think of a million things to say, but they were lies… and she told him not to lie. His lips twitched as he wondered when he began to care about what she wanted him to do or not do. He decided on a simple, "Nothing."

"I said not to lie," Was her quick response. Axel narrowed his eyes, frustrated that she wouldn't let this go. Naminé flinched back, seeing the exasperation flashing across his face, and she thought that maybe it was best to let him go to sleep. Awkwardly, she began to lower herself back down to her blankets.

But when a hand suddenly reached out to her and careful fingers brushed against her cheek, the girl knew she would not be able to lie back down. Cerulean eyes met a peridot shimmering with question and uncertainty, and she could feel those fingers hesitate. It took a moment for her to realize that the ghost of a touch had disappeared and when she did, she made a desperate reach for the hand to rest it back in place. A bright blush colored her cheeks as she stared back at him expectantly.

This shouldn't have come to a surprise to him. He knew that she liked him, so that she would hold his hand to her should have been expected. Even so, Axel could hear the explosions go off in his mind, yelling at him to take this opportunity while also screaming out his stupidity for starting this. Now, when his thoughts were so clearly reflected in his eyes and fingers so eagerly caressed her smooth skin, he couldn't imagine there was a way deny to these feelings that were based around memories that had never belonged to him.

Her lips parted to utter some trivial words, but a thumb placed gently over them stopped her. Axel could see her chest rise and fall, heavier than usual, but his probably would be, too, if he hadn't been splayed on his stomach.

"You told me not to lie," He said, voice quiet in the darkness. Naminé took a deep breath as he slid closer to the edge of the bed, now only inches apart, and she couldn't help but notice his eyes were fixed on her mouth. His hand traveled into her hair, drawing her close, "So I'm not gonna."

Immediately upon touching his lips to hers, he had the nagging feeling that she was too small. His fingers felt too large intertwined in her wheat colored tresses, and his mouth demanded more space than she was capable of offering. Axel tried to ignore this, but when Naminé failed to respond, he wondered if maybe she realized it, too. He moved away, but kept his eyes fixated on her. The girl was still staring at him, clearly in shock, and the pyro couldn't help but give her a lopsided grin.

"This is the part where you fall into my arms and beg me to kiss you again," When not even that elicited a reaction, Axel let out a sigh and rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. Maybe he messed it up or something, though he had no idea what could have gone wrong. It was this movement that brought Naminé out of her stupor and she realized what exactly she had missed. He probably thought she was an idiot now, the girl thought with a cringe, and she couldn't allow that. Axel started in surprise when his bed shifted downwards from newly added weight. Naminé hovered above him, planting her hands on either side of him and looking determined and fearful all at once, and the pyro wondered if maybe he did everything exactly right. A teasing smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth and he raised one brow in question, "Can I help you?"

Naminé took a shuddering breath and said shyly, "I want to kiss you."

The girl bit her lip when Axel suddenly sat up, supporting himself on his elbows. Again, they found themselves so close that she could see the flecks of varying color in his calculating eyes and she found that the small marks under his eyes were not painted, but permanently etched into his skin. She wondered if it hurt to get them; an offhand thought that flitted in and out of her mind within seconds. His serpentine stare flickered from her eyes, to her lips, and back again, and the marks crinkled when he smirked. Even looking down on him, he still managed to intimidate her, and this was enough to keep her from doing what she desired. Almost.

A drifting hand brushed her hair behind her ear, "No one's stopping you."

Neither noticed the faltering of Axel's signature grin as Naminé tentatively neared, or the vanishing of the superiority that always rested in his eyes, or the way his chest rose and never relaxed. The girl trembled, anticipating and yet fearing the contact, and her fists curled on his chest. When their mouths met for the second time, she inhaled sharply and had to stop herself from recoiling in embarrassment, but a gentle, reassuring hand found the small of her back and held her close. Sparks seemed to linger wherever skin brushed, and his wandering touch left in its wake a trail of a sort of fire that neither knew he possessed. And while his caresses set her skin ablaze, he couldn't help but shudder when her delicate fingers, hesitant and unsure, grazed his face, his neck, down to the wing of his collarbone; the cool of her skin was a relief to the constant heat that engulfed his body and he reveled in the feel.

A soft sound of protest brought Axel's hazy mind to attention, as unwilling as it was. He focused on her face, flushed scarlet, and he was reminded of his unruly hair, "What's wrong?" He whispered, tracing a thumb along her bottom lip. It was difficult to keep himself from moving forward again, from claiming her mouth again, but something was wrong… right? He couldn't remember…

Naminé took a shuddering breath, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. She made the same noise that alerted him and mumbled something indiscernible.

"You okay?"

The girl nodded once; an unconvincing nod that made the pyro push himself back up onto his elbows. Funny. When had he lain down? He leaned his forehead against hers, willing her to look him in the eyes, but even when she did not he pressed forward, "Naminé?"

A pause, and then the girl opened her eyes and she gave him a shaky smile, "I'm fine."

"You sure? We don't have to-"

Another kiss silenced him, and it left him speechless even after she pulled away and giggled at his stunned expression. Seeing the mischief glittering in her eyes, Axel allowed a smirk to curve his lips and he abruptly fell forward so that he rested on his hands and knees with her beneath him. He stared down at her wide eyes and, not even a second later, another peal of giggles burst from Naminé's lips; this may have annoyed him in any other situation, but now it only fueled his desire to win.

"Gonna play like that, huh?" He teased, "Fine."

Naminé nearly shrieked in laughter when his hands were suddenly tickling at her sides, an act she thought he wasn't capable of; then again, she never imagined him capable of any of this, so perhaps she should focus on breathing rather than the impossible which, really, were beginning to seem synonymous. When her breaths were coming out in short gasps, the hands finally stopped to allow her to recover. She hardly noticed him leaning down to her level again, but she quieted quickly when the redhead nuzzled against her neck and made brief touches with his lips. Her face softened and she uttered quietly, "You're acting different."

Axel paused, then said against her skin, "How do you know? You've never seen me like this before. Maybe this is completely normal."

Naminé quirked her head and a smile played at her lips, "Really? I wouldn't have guessed."

"Are you saying I'm cold?"

_Far from it_, she wanted to say, but even now she could never have the courage to confess such a thing. She answered, "Maybe."

"Betcha I'm not."

"I don't believe you."

"Oh yea?" Axel grinned devilishly down at her, "Watch this."

While not unwelcome, Naminé was startled by the demand behind the kiss that begged her to experience a passion that should not have been able to exist. It should have been invasive, she realized; she should have pushed him away, and she would have were her thoughts not clouded by fake feelings, but she became nearly lifeless under the feverous attention that put the other kisses to shame. She didn't know when she wrapped her arms around his neck, or when she had run out of breath and he made up for it by brushing his fingers across her cheeks and touching his lips to her shoulders. Time slowed to the point where their movements seemed delayed and sluggish, and yet it passed so quickly that seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours without them ever realizing.

It was so wrong, Axel knew, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. Too old? Too young? He didn't know which it was, nor did he care to figure it out. This was what both had longed for, whether or not they accepted it, and there was nothing that could distract them from this moment. No fears, no concerns, and no arguments. Screw age. Screw the Organization. This was what they wanted and they would do anything to hold on to it.

At least, until morning came, and then the cover of darkness could no longer protect what they so desired.

**XXXXX**

**Axel scored. **

**Harumph. I'm afraid to comment on this and drive myself into a hole that I may or may not already be driven into. That make sense? I like the chapter, but… mmph. Guess I'll just let you guys decide.**

**So… there's one chapter left to this. And then a short epilogue. Makes meh sad. :( Alrighty. Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading, guys, and I hope I didn't make your eyes bleed!**

**Until Next Time,  
Manwathiel**


	11. Reminder

**Rawr. Last chapter. Dun dun dun. **

**Not much to say… so enjoy!**

**XXXXX**

Chapter 11- Reminder

The room was still dark when consciousness began to trickle back into the pyro's body. A familiar distant hum was buzzing in his ears, but he was too busy drifting between sleep and wake to take notice of it. Sheets rustled as he stretched out his legs as far as they could go, and a large yawn opened his mouth wide. It felt lovely to be fully rested again and to be able to just lie around. No Marluxia to dump a bucket of ice water on him, no Larxene to finish the job with a bit of electricity, just him and his bed all morning long. A smile curved his lips as he turned onto his side. Or rather, he _attempted_ to turn onto his side; something had decided to take up residence next to him. While it should have been obvious as to what it was, considering his activities only hours ago, it left Axel stumped with a frustrated frown. Opening his eyes and seeing what it was may have been the best avenue to take to figure it out, but he was almost too tired to care…

"I swear, you've done some stupid things before," A familiar and unwelcome voice just a few feet away forced Axel to open his eyes, "But this one takes the cake."

Surprise flashed across the redhead's face, only to be replaced with annoyance seconds later, "What are _you_ doing here?" He muttered as he tried to sit up. However, when he found a restraint around his waist- namely, a pair of arms that led up to a sleeping, blonde haired girl- all thoughts of the visitor flew instantly out of his mind. His hands flashed to her wrists and tore them away from his body, wakening the girl with a startled jolt and a squeak in surprise.

"What are you _doing_?" The pyro hissed, "I told you to stay on the floor!"

Naminé flinched, "But I was uncomfortable and… who's that?"

Behind his back, Axel heard the visitor shift and mutter something under his breath. The redhead looked over his shoulder, scowling and trying not to acknowledge the accusative blue eyes boring into him. The visitor crossed his arms over his chest with a shake of his head.

"Honestly, Axel, what were you thinking?"

"Shut up, Roxas," He spat, tearing off the sheets and swinging his feet off the bed, "It's not what you think. I told her to go back on the floor, but she _obviously_ didn't listen."

Roxas tilted his head to the side, "So you mean at one point she _was_ on the bed."

"…At a different time as me."

"Liar."

To Naminé, Axel seemed to swell in frustration. While she was aware that part of the frustration was directed at her, she was still curious as to whom this person was. He seemed slightly familiar; maybe she had seen him in passing when she was first found, but she never was introduced to him formally. In his bright, blue eyes were reflected disbelief and exasperation, and she found herself drawn to these eyes for some reason. They were so beautiful, familiar… too familiar. Unseen by either of the other Nobodies, a hand flew to her mouth in shock.

"Sora...?" The name slipped past her lips in a whisper, but it was enough to draw attention back to her. Roxas simply frowned, while Axel suddenly whirled around on her with fierce eyes.

"Go back to your room, Naminé," His voice was tense, rushed, like she had said something he didn't like. She frowned.

"Why does he look like…?"

"Didn't you hear me? Go! _Now!_"

The girl hadn't heard that much anger in his tone since that day in the library. Fear weaved its way into her chest, stirring up old memories of mistrust, and she hurriedly obeyed. With one last fleeting glance at Roxas, Naminé slipped through the door and was gone without a sound. When he was sure that she was out of hearing range, Axel slumped forward with a heavy sigh. The younger Nobody said nothing as the pyro kneaded his forehead with his knuckles. A few moments passed in silence.

"So," Roxas started. The edge of the bed slumped as he sat down beside the pyro. Axel glanced over at him from between his fingers.

"So, what?"

A quirky grin twitched onto the boy's lips, "So, how was it?"

Axel's features hardened, already having an idea of what his friend was suggesting. But he was never one to assume and, despite telling himself not to, he just had to ask, "How was what?"

"You know," Roxas hinted, wagging his eyebrows, "_It_."

"Get the hell out of my room, you pervert."

The boy suddenly found himself face down on the floor with Axel's foot pressed into his back. He cringed when the redhead stood, intentionally placing his weight onto him, and started towards an old dresser tucked in a corner. Roxas snickered, despite the pain so purposefully inflicted upon him, and sat back up on the bed. Axel tried to his best to ignore the grinning Nobody watching him as he grabbed his usual garb: black tank top and black pants. It was monotonous, really, wearing the same thing every day, but he thought it suited him. A lot more than the happy face boxers Demyx had gotten everyone, at least. Those had yet to emerge from the bottom of the pyro's closet; he was saving them for a 'special occasion', as he had told the disappointed Nocturne. Like that would ever come.

"So," Roxas said. Axel glared over his shoulder.

"We're not playing _that_ game again."

Lazily, the young Nobody stretched himself over the bed with his arms crossed behind his head. He watched his friend pace about the room, "Calm down, man. I'm just messing around."

"Think you could tell me why you're here then?" The pyro demanded, "I thought I told you to stay away from here."

"Hey, you should be thankful it's just me," Roxas said, "They were going to send _Saïx_, but I felt like checking this place out myself. He probably would have gone berserk if he caught you like that. Literally."

Axel grimaced at the thought of the Luna Diviner finding him in such a position. The kiss ass had a temper worse than the pyro's and wasn't afraid to express this temper in violent displays that involved much pain and suffering for the offender. He would know, having been on the receiving end of many of the berserker's tantrums in the past. Surely, if Roxas hadn't decided to be curious, the pyro would have slept the morning away, only to be awakened much more painfully. If that happened, not only would he have been Dusked right then and there, but all his planning to get Naminé out would have been for nothing. Still, he had been caught, even if by Roxas. Axel couldn't help but turn a suspicious eye on his friend, who had found somehow managed to find entertainment in a scratch on his glove.

"You're not going to say anything, are you?" He started cautiously, finally halting his pacing.

The Key of Destiny glanced up, "About what? That you got some last night? Nah, that's your business."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," Axel said through clenched teeth, ignoring the cheeky grin on the boy's face, "I meant, you're not going to mention Naminé, right?"

A frown marred Roxas' face as he sat up, eyeing the pyro curiously, "What's to say about her that they shouldn't know?"

Axel hesitated. This boy was his best friend, probably the only one in the entire Organization that he actually _liked_, not just _tolerated_. Even so, he was still new and many aspects of him were unknown. So far, he hadn't given any reason not to trust him, but after recent activities, Axel wasn't exactly in a trusting mood. Five dead members could quickly turn into six if Roxas decided he was more loyal to Xemnas than the pyro. But there was still something about him that had Axel convinced that the kid wasn't bad. He drawled, "You can't mention this, okay? Just between me and you, and you can't back out of the deal later."

Roxas crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm almost afraid to know what you screwed up this time. Besides, you know, the obvious."

"What do you mean, 'this time?" The redhead forced a grin, trying to ignore the last comment, "But still, you know, keep it quiet."

"Yea, yea," The dismissive wave wasn't too comforting, but he had to confess now. Axel let out a heavy breath as he slumped against his dresser, wrapping his arms about his torso as he did so.

"I'm going to let her get away."

Maybe that didn't register at first in the Key of Destiny's mind, for he tilted his head to the side in question and frowned. A look of disinterest passed across his face, only to be wiped away moments later with shock and disbelief. Large, blue eyes fixated on the uneasy pyro, asking so many questions at once, both were sure he would never have time to ask them all. Roxas' lips parted, closed, and finally opened again to say, "Are you _crazy_?! If Xemnas finds out you let her go, he will _destroy_ you! You won't even get to be a Dusk! He'll smash you into little bite size pieces and feed you to the-"

"_Thank you_, Roxas," Axel growled, sending the boy a steely glare that quickly shut him up, "I sort of figured that out for myself already."

Roxas cowered under the pyro's narrowed eyes and nodded once, "Right. Sorry. So what are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know yet," He answered, somewhat calmer now, "But she's going to go with someone else once I leave, so the only one in any trouble will be me. She'll be safe."

The boy frowned, "Why do you care if she's safe?"

That was a good question. Axel knew that she wasn't his responsibility, but he could no longer deny the interest that he had in her. He was painfully aware that last night was a mistake, and now parting with her would be that much harder. What he had told Roxas had been true; he had only allowed her on the bed with him for a few minutes- ten minutes, tops… okay, maybe a little bit longer… or a lot longer- and then forced her to return to the floor without any of what the boy had been implying. Waking up with her next to him had been a complete surprise, but it wasn't unwanted. He wouldn't mind falling asleep with her at his side and waking up to her beautiful eyes…

With a groan, the pyro covered his face with his hand, "I don't know, Roxas. I hate caring. It makes me feel like crap."

There was silence from the bed, and then a slow, cautious, "Axel, you don't… you know… _like_ her or something, do you?"

"No. I didn't want last night to happen. It just sort of… slipped."

Another pause, followed by a snicker, "You don't know how wrong that sounded."

"Only to the screwed up mind," Axel said, but he couldn't help but laugh as well. Gathering up the various articles of clothing from the floor, the pyro affectionately ruffled the boy's hair before heading towards a door on the far wall, "I'm gonna take a shower, okay? Don't kill yourself while I'm gone."

"Aye, aye, captain," The boy mock saluted before falling back onto the pillows. Axel rolled his eyes before shutting the door behind him. As much as he liked the kid, sometimes he was just a little too eccentric for his own good. Sure, he had his own moments where his mind was buried miles beneath all the rubble and garbage of the gutter, but after spending the night as he did, he wasn't at all in the mood to be thinking such thoughts. It had been so long since he could remember doing something like that, but he had enjoyed it then. This time, the only thing he wanted to do was bang his head against the wall. Roxas was right; that had been the stupidest thing he had ever done.

And worst of all, he had completely failed in breaking ties with Naminé. Now she probably thought that they had a 'thing' and would be devastated to find out it wasn't what she was hoping for.

IOIOIOI

Naminé pressed her face into the soft blankets on her bed. She inhaled the clean smell, glad to be back in her own room though still wishing she was in another. Butterflies continued to tickle the inside of her stomach, itching to escape, but unable to find a way out. The girl didn't mind. She liked this feeling because it was the first one that ever felt so _real_. Her skin still tingled where his fingers had brushed her, lips still tender even hours later. Was it supposed to be like that? Even after her unceremonious discharge from the room, she couldn't help but feel giddy that one of her dreams had finally come true. She sighed, wrapping her arms around her waist as she rolled onto her side. She never wanted this feeling to go away.

For a moment, however, it seemed like this couldn't last. A swirling mass of purple, black, and blue formed in the center of her room, and the girl sat up in excitement. She bit her lip, waiting for him to step through, but it was not him. A weight settled deep in her stomach. It was that boy… the one that looked like Sora. Awkwardly, Naminé shifted her feet off the bed as he watched her, blue eyes calculating. What did he want from her?

"I'm Roxas."

Though intended to be polite, his introduction seemed too tense for that. The girl nodded shyly.

"I'm Naminé."

"Yea, I know."

He sounded exasperated for some reason. Naminé fidgeted restlessly as the boy approached her, hesitating, and he eventually decided to take a seat beside her. It was almost painful to see the resemblance that he had to Sora, to see someone so similar to one that she believed had betrayed her. Though he had not killed Axel as she had originally thought, he still left her. Even though she understood, a part of her didn't want to forgive him for that.

"You know," Roxas started, "Axel can't take you back to the Organization with him."

Naminé frowned. She didn't want to be reminded of that, "I know. I couldn't anyway. I have to help Sora restore his memories."

"Oh. Right," The Key of Destiny rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "So whatever you guys have sort of has to end, you know?"

"Did he send you to tell me that?"

"No," The boy assured her, "He doesn't know I'm here. He's too busy playing princess in the bathroom."

Naminé blinked, "What?"

Roxas snickered, crossing his legs and leaning back onto his hands as he did so, "Come on, you can't tell me you didn't notice the make-up?"

The girl giggled as memories of the night in the rain flashed into her mind. The pyro had looked so out of his element in the downpour, and rightfully so. She remembered comparing him to a clown, with his soaked hair and red smears down his cheeks. When she asked if it was, indeed, make-up, he had replied with a vehement 'no'. It seemed, however, that wasn't exactly the truth. Naminé stifled her laughter behind her hands.

"Seriously!" The boy continued, throwing up his hands to accentuate his claim, "The guy spends more time preening himself than Larxene does!"

"Really?" Naminé laughed, "I would have expected Marluxia to be like that."

Roxas snorted, "And you'd be right. Axel may play princess, but Marluxia plays _queen_."

The young Nobodies were so caught up in their laughing that both failed to acknowledge the new arrival in the room until a soaking wet towel slapped the boy clean in the face. Naminé erupted into another peal of giggles as the offending object slipped to Roxas' lap, effectively tousling his hair and leaving behind a face of disgust. The Key of Destiny pinched a corner between two fingers and tossed it off the bed. A snicker drew their attention to the other side of the room were Axel stood with his hands perched on his hips. His hair was slicked down again from the water, the girl noted; she couldn't help but smile.

"That's disgusting, Axel," Roxas whined, "Who knows where that thing's been?"

"I do," The pyro grinned, "And I can tell you that you _definitely_ don't want to know where it's been."

While Naminé's cheeks flushed with color, the boy made a dramatic display of trying to rid his face of anything Axel, accompanied by many grumbles of protest and revulsion. The redhead snickered as he started towards them, but noticeably hesitated before sitting down beside Roxas. The girl tried to hide her dismay that he didn't want to sit by her, reminding herself that these two hadn't seen each other in a while; they probably just wanted to catch up. However, she couldn't help the frown that threatened to curve her lips and her fists tightened in her lap.

"Hey, Naminé, say something," The boy jostled her shoulder with a grin plastered on his face. The girl gave him a weak smile, realizing that she had gone quiet. Briefly, her eyes caught Axel's, but he quickly looked away.

"I don't have anything to say," She answered softly. Roxas huffed as he glanced between her and the pyro.

"Both of you are quiet," He complained, "Is this some sort of awkward morning after thing?"

They boy winced when a hand smacked the back of his head, "Maybe you're the one that needs to be quiet," Axel suggested with a forced grin. Yes, he realized, that was exactly what it was. Again, peridot caught the uneasy cerulean and he wanted to do something to reassure her, but anything he could do would have been blanketed in lies. He didn't want to make things even harder than they already were, but it was terrible to see such confusion in her eyes and know that he was the cause. A small, shaky smile ghosted across his lips, but the girl had already looked away by the time he managed to conjure it up. The pyro glanced down with an inaudible sigh.

Roxas stood up suddenly, "You're probably right," He said, back turned, "How 'bout I go and leave you guys to it?"

"Sit down, Roxas," Axel muttered, "You're overreacting."

"Nah, I should go anyway. Make sure Saïx doesn't come crash the party, right? You two take care of things," His tone was jesting, but as he glanced over his shoulder, the pyro knew that he was implying more than he was saying. Take care of things, he said. More like, end whatever crap you started with Naminé and get back to the Castle before someone slices you up. Yea. Maybe the kid was right for once.

Axel met gazes with his friend and nodded once. Slipping easily back into his earlier guise, Roxas then grinned at the girl and gave her a quick wave, "See you 'round, Naminé."

Even after the last tendril of darkness had disappeared and the room was silent except for slow breaths, both Nobodies were reluctant to acknowledge each other. Never before had Axel felt so uneasy in a situation that he couldn't think of a thing to say, and it was driving him crazy. He could stare danger in the face and insult its mother, but he couldn't tell this frail little girl that last night wasn't supposed to happen and she might as well forget it. Was it because he _did _want it that made it so hard to tell her? Or because he couldn't bear to hurt her? He didn't know and had no desire to find out, but not all in life is favorable. Not even the life of a Nobody. _Especially_ not the life of a Nobody.

For some reason, Naminé shifting her legs onto the bed was what finally brought the words out of Axel's mouth. Granted, they weren't the best choice, but it was certainly an ice breaker. With a light chuckle, the pyro offered a small grin, "So, uh… last night sure was fun, huh?"

Was that supposed to kill her hopes?

The girl's mouth fell open just slightly and a faint pink covered her cheeks. Unable to form the words, she simply nodded. Axel smirked.

"You don't have to be shy around me now, you know."

"Well, you're pretty quiet, too."

Axel's face melted into a frown and he looked away. She certainly wasn't helping by saying things like that. At least he was attempting to make conversation. The pyro fidgeted anxiously with his fingers, trying to come up with the best approach. However, Naminé decided to make his job easier for him, though he wasn't sure whether or not he appreciated the effort.

"You don't have to say anything," Her voice was quiet, but it managed to bounce about the silent room and echo in his ears, "Roxas told me."

The pyro chewed on his bottom lip. His fingers drummed an erratic pattern on the edge of the mattress that would have annoyed the girl in any other circumstance. Now, she could hardly concentrate on her own breathing without becoming lost in the raging torrents of her mind. Had she known… well, maybe she did know. She should have, at least, and if she didn't that made her all the more foolish. He didn't lie, though; she was sure of it. Not because she trusted him, but because he never did something solely for someone else. He wasn't selfish, but he wasn't generous either. Something spurred him to act as he did last night, and it wasn't because of her desires.

She didn't understand why her voice cracked as she whispered a word so simple, yet fathomless in its expectancy, "Why?"

Why, she asked. _Why_. Axel could only utter a 'tch' between his teeth. Maybe because you're a sick bastard, he supplied himself, or maybe because you enjoy screwing with the minds of girls who don't know any better. Both seemed equally possible and neither were any better than the other. Unfortunately, he had to choose one. There was always option 'C': just string the kid along like you've done all this time, because whatever's up there knows that you've spun a web of lies so elaborate that even you have trouble navigating it. Send her off to her new home with another half truth; what harm will that do?

Too much, he knew. If he could give her anything as a parting gift, let it be the truth for once.

"I think, Naminé," It was a half chuckle, like he was just realizing it himself. Little did she know, that was exactly the case, "Because it was just a good time."

The girl frowned. That hardly answered her question, but a brief moment in time flickered back to her memory just as she opened her mouth to ask for more. A good time, he said to her upon finding her picture, and a bad time. At that instance, when Marluxia and Larxene and everyone else were still alive, it was a bad time. Last night, with no chance for disruptions and no excuses _not_ to, it was a good time for what she sought and he apparently sought, too. Though not completely satisfied, she nodded.

"Okay."

He leaned closer then, bringing a blush to her cheeks. He whispered, "And you know what, Naminé?"

"What?"

"I betcha we'll have another good time one day."

Naminé glanced at the pyro, with his acidic serpentine eyes and lopsided smirk that showed just a bit of teeth in the corner, and smiled.

"I hope so."

**XXXXX**

**And that's that. Anyone else feel like jumping off a bridge? No? Just me? Okay. **

**I love Roxas in this chapter. I probably abused his character to the point of no return, but oh well. He broke up the AkuNami love, so he deserves to be abused (lame excuse for OOCness). In my defense, we really don't know much about his character, except for his last few days with the Organization where he was all, "WOE IS ME FML". So… maybe he's a perverted, hormonal teenager? Right…**

**Oh well. We've still got the epilogue, so don't abandon ship just yet, pls. I'm also planning on including a small teaser for the sequel in the author's note. So yea. I'm not finished with you people. **

**And now I'll shut up. Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading!**

**Until Next Time,  
****Manwathiel**


	12. Home

**I seriously didn't want to put this up 'cos that means its over. :( Oh well. I guess all good things must come to an end eventually. It's pretty quick and simple, but I hope you guys enjoy this last one. **

**XXXXX**

Epilogue- Home

Why is it always so difficult to jump back into the routine that you have gone through for as long as you can remember, after only a few weeks of something different? An action that was once habitual suddenly seems out of place, and you find yourself wondering what happened to the stairwell that led to your bedroom, which was really two floors down. You wake up in your bed and have a momentary panic attack because your head is facing the wrong direction and you think someone moved you while you were asleep. You wait outside the bathroom door for almost an hour, only to stare in surprise when a sleepy Luxord pushes past you and tells you to stop stalking him.

That's when you know you are home and that things are back to normal and you wish that you could go back. You miss the excitement, the thrill of waking up and thinking, what's going to happen today?

You know that you are home and you are Number VIII in Organization XIII when you sit in your chair Where Nothing Gathers and you find that you are perched just a bit higher than you were before you left for Castle Oblivion. The only difference is that there are five less voices and no one seems to notice except you because you had a hand in killing them all. Not that you are guilty. Things are just quieter and the others pay you more attention because there are fewer people to talk to. You wonder if it will be the same if you ever end up like the traitors and you decide that yes, it probably will be. You understand though because you are all Nobodies and you can't expect much more than that.

You know that you are home because you get that little twinge of excitement when you think about going to see _her_ today, but reality crashes down on you when you remember that she is worlds away by now with an old man in red and a boy that uses the darkness for good. You wonder how she is doing, if she's thinking about you, and you smirk. Of course she is. Why wouldn't she? You can remember the look in her eyes as she turns to you once last time, silently pleading for you to take her with you. You both know you can't, though, and that's what makes you touch her cheek and steal a kiss that isn't yours to take and you whisper words that, for once, are true. _I promised, didn't I?_ You remind her, brushing your lips past the shell of her ear and delighting in the shivers that course down her body. _All birds find their wings._ And you dare say nothing more, simply giving her a little nudge, and when she hurries away you realize that little nudge would be the last time you touched her for a very, very long time. You want to call her back, to feel her skin just one more time, but you know if you do then you'll never be able to let her go.

You know that you are home when you're sitting in your room, alone, and hoping that someone would have the nerve to twist you the wrong way just so you have a reason to feel the unforgiving metal of your chakrams beneath your fingertips. You never have the chance to use them anymore, except in the extra training that you promised yourself you would do after nearly being wasted by both flower boy and key boy. But even then you can't use your full power because you don't feel like cleaning up the mess that would surely be left behind. The flames lick at your fingers, begging to be released, and you have no option but to ignore them.

But now the only thing beneath your fingertips is the rough wood of a chess pawn. The only thing you can get excited about is the irate expression of the Melodious Nocturne as he tries to decide his next move that will do nothing to save his King. The only thing that makes a sound is the muffled hum of Xaldin and Xigbar bantering over something in the next room.

And you know that you are home when all of this is just fine with you.

Demyx dooms his King by shifting away its pathetic guard of a Bishop that doesn't have enough time to protect its ruler. As his fingers leave the piece, you can't help but snicker and move your final pawn into place.

The musician sputters a cry of outrage as you lean onto the back legs of your chair and proudly declare the word every chess player dreads.

"Checkmate."

**XXXXX**

**The End. D8 **

**Almost a year later, Checkmate is complete! Yay! Sorta. Hum. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Fortunately, we've got a sequel (that I've been neglecting) coming up, so it's not **_**totally**_** over. But it'll be a while before it pops up. Once the semester is over, I'll have more time to work on it. Until then, here are a few bites from what I've done so far of the sequel, titled 'A Parody of Dreams', as I promised last chapter. I hope you enjoy it!**

XOXOX

xX-A Parody of Dreams-Xx

_A hiss of a whisper brushed past his ear and Axel slid his attention to the side. Peridot eyes, once filled with fiery enthusiasm and now only a ghost of what they once were, caught the irregular movement of a Dusk peering around the corner of the clock tower. The pyro made no verbal or physical command, but the lesser Nobody drifted over to circle its master, watching him with its eyeless face and waiting for the next order. _

"_What do you want?" Axel muttered, swatting his hand at the Dusk as though it were a fly. It easily evaded the halfhearted attack and continued its circle._

Roxas…

_More vigorously, the redhead swiped at the Nobody, "Go away." _

Roxas comes…

_The whispered message brought Axel to attention for but a moment before he sighed and rested his cheek in his palm. The Dusks had already proved by bringing him photos of Roxas instead of the actual person that they couldn't follow directions, so no doubt this one had spotted something ridiculous, like a checkered flag. The lesser Nobody circled closer until it brushed against the back of his coat and tossed his hood._

Master… Roxas comes…

"_Would you get _away _from me?" Axel spat. As it passed by, the redhead grabbed hold of a long leg, but it swiftly slithered from his grasp with ease. It hissed in displeasure, and then suddenly darted off towards the ground. The pyro watched its descent and his eyes widened when he found what the Dusk had been so insistent upon. As if hearing its master's understanding, the lesser Nobody returned to his side._

Roxas…

_The corner of Axel's mouth lifted in a sarcastic smirk, "You confuse pictures with the real thing, but you can pick out his Somebody with no problem. I fail to see the logic in that." _

_The Dusk murmured a contented sound._

XOXOX

_A long breath hissed between the pyro's teeth and with it went his patience. The girl took a step back as he came closer and she felt her heels slip from the dock._

XOXOX

"_Long time, no see, Riku. Or is it Ansem now?" _

_The last remark went unheeded, "A year goes by fast." _

"_Especially when you're busy destroying lives, huh?" Axel grinned bitterly, "Remind me to thank you for that when I'm in a better mood." _

XOXOX

"_You should consider yourself lucky, especially after you stole from me the last thing that I cared about," He informed her, once again dragging her towards the portal; she hardly put up a struggle. Axel gazed into the black depths before him, then looked back down to her with a devilish smile, "So don't worry. What I'm about to do to you is far less painful than what I did to the Dusks for failing me." _

XOXOX

_Axel's peridot eyes slid down to the boy and his friends and a predatory smile flitted upon his lips._

"_Kill him." _

XOXOX

**Yea. Just a few things for you to ponder over. **

**Well, no sense prolonging the inevitable. Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks a million times over for reading, guys! And also one last thank you to my loffly beta, Schmelly Inc.! See ya!**

**Until Next Time,  
Manwathiel**


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